Christine Hamilton

Christine Hamilton is a television personality, author and wife of former MP Neil Hamilton.

Christine Hamilton appears regularly on TV and radio, from entertainment to news and current affairs programmes.  Her repertoire includes everything from Have I Got News for You, Bo Selecta and Harry Hill to Any Questions, Loose Women and Newsnight.  She presented a 10 part Granada series Home and has deputised for Gloria Hunniford and Fern Britton on their flagship shows Open House and This Morning.  She has written a weekly column for the Western Daily Press, a monthly column for gay magazine Refresh and ad hoc for other newspapers, magazines and periodicals.

She has filled both Oxford and Cambridge Unions (“the best presidential debate for years – you made it for everyone”), wowed the boys at Eton College (“you managed to make most of the audience cry with laughter”) and enchanted countless other audiences with her wit, humour and fund of hilarious stories.

She is in demand to speak at luncheons, dinners and gatherings of all kinds, equally at home with either male, female or mixed audiences, enlivening many an occasion with her charm and humour.  A practised, entertaining and witty speaker, she lifts the veil on the discreet yet not-so-discreet World of Westminster and enthuses hilariously about her “Great British Battleaxes”.

Rarely out of the news, she hit the headlines in August 2001 when she and Neil were arrested and accused of a vile sexual crime – they fought back very publicly forcing the police to back down and admit it was all untrue.  On the original ITV series I’m A Celebrity – Get Me Out Of Here in 2002 she enchanted viewers with her natural charm, sense of humour, common sense and kindness, emerging true Queen of the Jungle!

Her critically acclaimed BBC Choice series, The Christine Hamilton Show proved her to be a natural and perceptive interviewer, chatting to household names who have survived stormy waters of all kinds – from James Hewitt, Jonathan Aitken and Lord Bath to Bernard Manning, Ivana Trump and John Fashanu.

Christine acquired media celebrity overnight for the forceful support she gave her husband during his 1997 General Election campaign in the Tatton constituency.  The ‘Battle of Knutsford Heath’ was one of the high spots of the campaign.  Descriptions of her ranged from the insultingly unflattering to the admiringly adulatory.  She was called everything from “the wife from hell”, to “the battling lioness”.  Lampooned in countless articles and cartoons as a ferocious Battleaxe, she also aroused admiration for her spirit and chutzpah.

Inspired by her own caricature, her first book “Christine Hamilton’s Book of British Battleaxes”, was published in October 1997 (paperback ’98) and was revised and re-printed in 2003.  Light-hearted and entertaining, it is a colourful cornucopia of 3 Belligerent British Belles who have enlivened the pages of history and the headlines of the popular press ranging from Queens Boadicea to Victoria, Nancy Astor to Margaret Thatcher; from Fanny Craddock to Bessie Braddock; from Joan Collins to Ena Sharples; from Cynthia Payne to Edwina Currie and from Barbara Cartland to Barbara Woodhouse.  Her autobiography “For Better For Worse” was published in March 2005.

Game for anything (‘as long as it is legal, honest and faintly decent’) Christine has parachuted and posed as Eve (with Neil as Adam) for charity; dressed as a drag queen on the BBC, had cosmetic infill injections live on C5 & the BBC, and launched a death defying funfair ride.  An outrageous flirt, who could forget her disarming Louis Theroux in the documentary, now considered one of the best television moments of 2001.

Recently Christine has received critical acclaim since delightedly dipping her toe into the world of theatre.  In basque and fishnets, she was the first woman in England to take the role of Narrator in the Rocky Horror Show during it’s 30th anniversary tour in 2002/3; she twinkled as the Bossy Fairy Battleaxe in Jack and the Beanstalk at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford, Christmas 2002, starred in the Vagina Monologues at the Edinburgh Playhouse during the Festival in 2003 and made her West End debut with the Monologues at Wyndhams Theatre in May 2005.  She also tours her one Woman Show “Share an Evening with Christine Hamilton” – “All questions welcomed – I have nothing to hide!”  Together with Neil, their daily “Lunch with the Hamiltons” and Saturday night shows “Midnight Feast with the Hamiltons” were sell-outs at the 2006 Edinburgh Fringe.

Christine has been involved with various advertising; fronting TV campaigns for the London Tourist Board and Warner Music; a newspaper campaign for Directory Enquiries 118 118, a magazine campaign for Hush Puppies, a radio advertisement for Toyota, and a promotional campaign for Gleeson Homes.  She was the 2005 “Face of British Sausage Week” organised by the British Sausage Appreciation Society and the Meat & Livestock Commission.

She spent her childhood in the New Forest area where her father was a GP in Ringwood.  After graduating from the University of York she worked at the House of Commons for 26 years as Research Assistant and Secretary to MPs, starting with the flamboyant Sir Gerald Nabarro (MP for South Worcestershire until he died in 1973).  She worked for her husband for his election for Tatton in 1983 until he lost his seat in 1991.  Christine and Neil currently live in Wiltshire and London where they enjoy music, gardening, cooking and entertaining, which encompasses their overriding passion: the company of good friends.

To enquire about or book Christine Hamilton for your event contact Arena Entertainment. Either send an email to info@arenaentertainments.co.uk or speak to one of our booking agents on 0113-239-2222.