Janet Ellis

Janet Ellis, (born 16 September 1955) is an English television presenter, actress and writer, who is best known for presenting the children's television programmes Blue Peter and Jigsaw between 1979 and 1987. She has published two novels, The Butcher's Hook (2016) and How It Was (2019). She has three children: the singer/songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor, the former child actor now drummer Jackson Ellis-Leach and the art historian Martha Ellis-Leach. Early life Ellis was born in Chatham, Kent on September 16, 1955. Her father was a soldier who was stationed during her childhood at various places in Britain and Germany. Accordingly, she attended seven schools in the two countries, including Russell House School in Otford, Kent between the ages of five and seven, St Hilary's in Sevenoaks, Kent between the ages of 11 and 13, and from the ages of 13 to 17, her last school was Richmond County School for Girls in Richmond, Surrey (now in London). Having expressed an interest in acting since the age of five, she applied to and was accepted by the Central School of Speech and Drama in London but because she was too young, her place was deferred for a year. She spent the year gaining experience of the acting world by working backstage at the Comedy Theatre in central London. She has a sister, Sharon, who is two years younger than her.