Generally, a fact is something that is the case, something that actually exists, an event which has really occurred, or information that can be verified according to an established standard of evaluation. There is a range of other uses, depending on the context. Philosophers and scientists are interested in facts because of their relation to truth.

Etymology and usage

The word fact derives from the Latin ''Factum'', and was first used in English with the same meaning: "a thing done or performed", a use that is now obsolete. The common usage of "something that has really occurred or is the case" dates from the middle of the sixteenth century.

Fact is sometimes used synonymously with ''truth'', as distinct from opinions, falsehoods, or matters of taste. This use is found in such phrases as, ''It is a fact that the cup is red'' or ''Matter of fact'', and "... not history, nor fact, but imagination."

Fact also indicates a ''matter under discussion'' deemed to be true or correct, such as to emphasize a point or prove a disputed issue; (e.g., "... the ''fact'' of the matter is ...").

Alternatively, ''fact'' may also indicate an ''allegation or stipulation'' of something that may or may not be a "true fact", (e.g., "the author's facts are not trustworthy"). This alternate usage, although contested by some, has a long history in standard English.

Fact may also indicate findings derived through a ''process of evaluation'', including review of testimony, direct observation, or otherwise; as distinguishable from matters of inference or speculation. This use is reflected in the terms "fact-find" and "fact-finder" (e.g., "set up a fact-finding commission").

Facts may be checked by reason, experiment, personal experience, or may be argued from authority. Roger Bacon wrote "If in other sciences we should arrive at certainty without doubt and truth without error, it behooves us to place the foundations of knowledge in mathematics."

Fact in philosophy

In philosophy, the concept ''fact'' is considered in epistemology and ontology. Questions of objectivity and truth are closely associated with questions of fact. A "fact" can be defined as something which is the case, that is, the state of affairs reported by a true proposition.

Facts may be understood as that which makes a true sentence true. Facts may also be understood as those things to which a true sentence refers. The statement "Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system" is ''about'' the fact Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system.

Misunderstanding of the difference between fact and theory sometimes leads to fallacy in rhetoric, in which one person will say his or her claim is factual whereas the opponent's claim is just theory. Such statements indicate confusion as to the meanings of both words, suggesting the speaker believes that ''fact'' means "truth," and ''theory'' means "speculation."

Correspondence and the slingshot argument

Some versions of the correspondence theory of truth hold that what makes a sentence true is that it ''corresponds'' to a fact. This theory presupposes the existence of an objective world.

The Slingshot argument claims to show that all true statements stand for the same thing - the truth value ''true''. If this argument holds, and facts are taken to be what true statements stand for, then we reach the counter-intuitive conclusion that there is only one fact - "the truth".

Compound facts

Any non-trivial true statement about reality is necessarily an abstraction composed of a complex of objects and properties or relations. For example, the fact described by the true statement "Paris is the capital city of France" implies that there is such a place as Paris, there is such a place as France, there are such things as capital cities, as well as that France has a government, that the government of France has the power to define its capital city, and that the French government has chosen Paris to be the capital, that there is such a thing as a "place" or a "government", etc.. The verifiable accuracy of all of these assertions, if facts themselves, may coincide to create the fact that Paris is the capital of France.

Difficulties arise, however, in attempting to identify the constituent parts of negative, modal, disjunctive, or moral facts.

The fact-value distinction

Moral philosophers since David Hume have debated whether values are objective, and thus factual. In ''A Treatise of Human Nature'' Hume pointed out there is no obvious way for a series of statements about what ''ought'' to be the case to be derived from a series of statements of what ''is'' the case. Those who insist there is a logical gulf between facts and values, such that it is fallacious to attempt to derive values from facts, include G. E. Moore, who called attempting to do so the Naturalistic fallacy.

The factual-counterfactual distinction

Factuality — what has occurred — can also be contrasted with counterfactuality — what ''might have'' occurred, but did not. A counterfactual conditional or subjunctive conditional is a conditional (or "if-then") statement indicating what ''would be'' the case if events had been other than they actually are. For example, "If Alexander had lived, his empire would have been greater than Rome". This is to be contrasted with an indicative conditional, which indicates what ''is'' (in fact) the case if its antecedent ''is'' (in fact) true — for example, "if you drink this, it will make you well".

Such sentences are important to Modal logic, especially since the development of Possible world semantics.

Fact in science

Just as in philosophy, the scientific concept of fact is central to fundamental questions regarding the nature, methods, scope and validity of scientific reasoning.

In the most basic sense, a scientific ''fact'' is an objective and verifiable observation, in contrast with a ''hypothesis'' or ''theory'', which is intended to explain or interpret facts. (For an example, see Evolution as theory and fact.)

Various scholars have offered significant refinements to this basic formulation, some of which are detailed below. Also, rigorous scientific use of the term "fact" is careful to distinguish: 1) ''states of affairs'' in the external world; from 2) ''assertions'' of fact that may be considered relevant in scientific analysis. The term is used in both senses in the philosophy of science.

Scholarly inquiry regarding scientific fact

Scholars and clinical researchers in both the social and natural sciences have forwarded numerous questions and theories in clarifying the fundamental nature of scientific fact. Some pertinent issues raised by this inquiry include: the process by which "established fact" becomes recognized and accepted as such; whether and to what extent "fact" and "theoretic explanation" can be considered truly independent and separable from one another; to what extent are "facts" influenced by the mere act of observation;

Consistent with the theory of confirmation holism, some scholars assert "fact" to be necessarily "theory-laden" to some degree. Thomas Kuhn and others pointed out that knowing what facts to measure, and how to measure them, requires the use of some other theory (e.g., age of fossils is based on radiocarbon dating which is justified by reasoning that radioactive decay follows a Poisson process rather than a Bernoulli process). Similarly, Percy Williams Bridgman is credited with the methodological position known as operationalism, which asserts that all observations are not only influenced, but necessarily ''defined'' by the means and assumptions used to measure them.

Fact and the scientific method

Apart from the fundamental inquiry in to the nature of scientific fact, there remain the practical and social considerations of how fact is investigated, established, and substantiated through the proper application of the scientific method. Scientific facts are generally believed to be independent of the observer: no matter who performs a scientific experiment, all observers will agree on the outcome. In addition to these considerations, there are the social and institutional measures, such as peer review and accreditation, that are intended to promote ''factual accuracy'' (among other interests) in scientific study.

Fact in history

A common rhetorical cliché states, ''"History is written by the winners".'' This phrase suggests but does not examine the use of facts in the writing of history.

E. H. Carr in his 1961 volume, ''What is History?'', argues that the inherent biases from the gathering of facts makes the objective truth of any historical perspective idealistic and impossible. Facts are, "like fish in the Ocean," of which we may only happen to catch a few, only an indication of what is below the surface. Even a dragnet cannot tell us for certain what it would be like to live below the Ocean's surface. Even if we do not discard any facts (or fish) presented, we will always miss the majority; the site of our fishing, the methods undertaken, the weather and even luck play a vital role in what we will catch. Additionally, the composition of history is inevitably made up by the compilation of many different bias of fact finding - all compounded over time. He concludes that for a historian to attempt a more objective method, one must accept that history can only aspire to a conversation of the present with the past - and that one's methods of fact gathering should be openly examined. As with science, historical truth and facts will therefore change over time and reflect only the present consensus (if that).

Fact in law

In most common law jurisdictions, the general concept and analysis of fact reflects fundamental principles of Jurisprudence, and is supported by several well-established standards. Matters of fact have various formal definitions under common law jurisdictions.

These include:

an element required in legal pleadings to demonstrate a cause of action;

the determinations of the finder of fact after evaluating admissible evidence produced in a trial or hearing; a potential ground of reversible error forwarded on appeal in an appellate court; and any of various matters subject to investigation by official authority to establish whether a crime has been perpetrated, and to establish culpability.

Legal pleadings

A party to a civil suit generally must clearly state all relevant allegations of fact upon which a claim is based. The requisite level of precision and particularity of these allegations varies depending on the rules of civil procedure as well as the jurisdiction. Parties who face uncertainties regarding the facts and circumstances attendant to their side in a dispute may sometimes invoke alternative pleading. In this situation, a party may plead separate sets of facts that (when considered together) may be contradictory or mutually exclusive. This (seemingly) logically-inconsistent presentation of facts may be necessary as a safeguard against contingencies (such as ''res judicata'') that would otherwise preclude presenting a claim or defense that depends on a particular interpretation of the underlying facts.

See also

Brute fact

Consensus reality

Counterfactual history

De facto

Fact-finding

Factoid

Lie

Reality

State of affairs

Truth

References

Category:Critical thinking Category:Reality Category:Units of information (cognitive processes) Category:Philosophy of science Category:Concepts in epistemology

az:Fakt bg:Факт ca:Fet cs:Fakt da:Kendsgerning (videnskab) de:Tatsache et:Fakt es:Hecho (filosofía) eo:Fakto gl:Feito ko:사실 hr:Činjenica id:Fakta is:Staðreynd it:Fatto he:עובדה kk:Факт lt:Faktas hu:Tény mk:Факт mt:Fatti mn:Баримт nl:Feit ja:事実 no:Faktum pl:Fakt ru:Факт scn:Fattu simple:Fact sk:Fakt fi:Tosiasia sv:Faktum tr:Olgu uk:Факт yi:פאקט zh:事實

Coordinates	22°34′12″N17°5′1″N
name	Noel Edmonds
birth name	Noel Ernest Edmonds
birth date	December 22, 1948
birth place	Ilford, Essex, England
occupation	Broadcaster
years active	1969–present
spouse	Gillian Slater (1971–82) (divorced)Helen Soby (1986–2004) (divorced)
website	http://www.NoelEdmonds.tv/ }}

Noel Ernest Edmonds, (born 22 December 1948) is a British broadcaster and executive, who made his name as a DJ on BBC Radio 1 in the UK. He has presented many light entertainment television programmes, including ''Multi-Coloured Swap Shop'', ''Top of the Pops'', ''The Late, Late Breakfast Show'', ''Telly Addicts'' and ''Noel's House Party''. He currently presents the Channel 4 gameshow ''Deal or No Deal'' and the Sunday edition of Sky1's ''Are You Smarter Than A Ten Year Old?'' and previously the topical Sky1 show, ''Noel's HQ''.

Early life and radio career

The son of a headmaster who worked in Hainault, Edmonds attended Glade Primary School and Brentwood School. He was offered a place at the University of Surrey but turned it down in favour of a job as a newsreader on Radio Luxembourg, which was offered to him in 1968 after he sent tapes to pirate radio stations. In 1969, he moved to BBC Radio 1 where he began by recording trailers for broadcasts and filling in for absent DJs, such as Kenny Everett. In April 1970, Edmonds began his own two-hour Saturday afternoon programme, broadcasting from 1pm-3pm, before replacing Kenny Everett on Saturday mornings from 10am-12pm in July of that year. In October 1971 he was moved to a Sunday morning slot from 10am-12pm before being promoted to Radio 1's prestigious breakfast programme from June 1973 to April 1978, taking over from Tony Blackburn. Edmonds moved back to Sunday mornings from 10am-1pm in 1978 and also presented ''Talkabout'', an hour long talk show broadcast on Thursday evenings.

In the late 1970s, his Radio 1 Sunday show used to feature a send-up called "Musty Mind" where a phone-in contestant would be asked ludicrous questions on a parody of a serious subject, such as the "Toad Racing" or, on another occasion, "The Cultural and Social History of Rockall" - Rockall being a bald lump of uninhabited rock in the eastern Atlantic.

Edmonds left Radio 1 in March 1983, although he briefly returned in 1985, sitting in for Mike Read for two weeks on the breakfast show, and again in 1992, where he presented a special edition celebrating Radio 1's 25th birthday.

In 2003, Edmonds made a brief radio comeback, taking over the 'drivetime' broadcast on BBC Radio 2 for eight weeks while Johnnie Walker was undergoing treatment for cancer. His stint on Radio 2 lasted from 4 August until 3 October. In December 2004, Edmonds played a detective on a radio murder mystery play on local station BBC Radio Devon.

Television career

Edmonds hosted ''Top of the Pops'' at various points between 1970 and 1978, during which time he also presented a phone in programme for teenagers called ''Z Shed'' on BBC1 as well as a programme called ''Hobby Horse''. He hosted the children's Saturday morning programme, ''Multi-Coloured Swap Shop'', which ran from 1976 until 1982. In 1980, Edmonds took part in the ''Eurovision Song Contest'', introducing the UK entry live on stage at the final in The Hague. During ''Swap Shop'''s run, Edmonds had his first brushes with Saturday evening television, presenting ''Lucky Numbers'', a phone-in quiz programme which required viewers to call in and answer questions based on clips of films shown – and a revival of the 1960s pop music series ''Juke Box Jury''. Edmonds later moved to a Saturday early evening slot, first with ''The Late, Late Breakfast Show''. The programme was cancelled by the BBC on 15 November 1986, following an accident two days earlier in which Michael Lush, a viewer who had been selected to take part in a live stunt for the 'Whirly Wheel' section, died during rehearsals.

Edmonds was one of the original presenters of the BBC's motoring series ''Top Gear'' during the 1970s. During his time on the programme, he rubbished the Fiat Strada, saying it "wasn't very good", which caused Fiat to threaten to sue the BBC unless he apologised for the comments. Edmonds reappeared in one episode of ''Top Gear'' in the 1990s, to road test the classic 1960s Ford GT40 supercar, because current host Jeremy Clarkson - at tall - was unable to fit into the cockpit. Edmonds is one of a few people in the UK to privately own a GT40. In September 2006, Edmonds admitted to men's magazine ''Loaded'' that he had travelled at speeds of up to in the car in the mid-1980s on the Tring Bypass in Hertfordshire, and to having sex in the back of a Range Rover. In keeping with motor vehicles, Edmonds also starred in an advert for Austin Rover cars on British television during the mid 1980s . In the early 1980s he hosted a series on BBC1 called "The Time Of Your Life", where celebrities recalled the time they were at their happiest professionally. It ran for three seasons from 1981.

''The Late, Late Breakfast Show''

A teatime show hosted by Edmonds from 1982–1986, ''The Late, Late breakfast show'' featured members of the public performing stunts as well as Edmonds interviewing music acts. The show ended on the 15 November 1986, after a member of the public, Michael Lush, was rehearsing a bungee jump and plunged 120 ft to his death when his rope came loose. Noel Edmonds quit the show immediately after, although returned to Saturday night TV with his 'Saturday Roadshow', two years later.

''Telly Addicts''

Telly Addicts is the name of a BBC1 game show hosted by Noel Edmonds, broadcast from 3 September 1985 until 29 July 1998. All questions were based on television programmes past and present, and generally took the form of a short clip being shown followed by a series of questions either specifically about the clip or more generally about the programme from which it had been taken. Two teams sat opposite each other on sofas. In 1991, he presented a prime time series called "Noel's Addicts", but the format had no similarity to the Telly Addicts show and ran for only one series.

''Noel's House Party''

Edmonds returned to television with ''The Noel Edmonds Saturday Roadshow'' in 1988, after presenting a show called ''Whatever Next?'' earlier in the same year. By 1991, the ''Saturday Roadshow'' morphed into ''Noel's House Party''. This latter series ran for eight years from Edmonds' supposed mansion in the fictional town of Crinkley Bottom. Regular features included NTV, where cameras were secretly hidden in viewer's homes, often in VHS tape cases. There was also the "Gotchas", where celebrities were caught in elaborate and embarrassing setups. In one infamous incident NTV's hidden cameras caught celebrity psychic Uri Geller apparently bending a spoon with his hands while demonstrating his "powers" to a member of the public. When then-Radio 1 DJ Dave Lee Travis was "Gotcha'd", he infamously yelled: "You are a dead man!". He later participated in Noel himself being "Gotcha'd". Mr. Blobby, a yellow and pink spotted character, initially appeared in the "Gotcha" section, and became a regular feature of the programme. The character even achieved the 1993 Christmas No. 1.

''Noel's House Party'' was a staple of BBC1's autumn and spring schedules for more than eight years. Several reformats failed to reverse its declining popularity, and in the final programme, broadcast on 20 March 1999, Edmonds appealed that viewers' memories should be kind to the programme.

''Deal or No Deal''

Edmonds made his television comeback, presenting the gameshow ''Deal or No Deal'' on Channel 4 (produced by Endemol), from a format that had already proved popular in numerous countries. The programme is filmed in a set of studios in Bristol converted from an old warehouse. It began UK transmission on Monday, 31 October 2005, and is broadcast on afternoons six days a week. It has proved to be a massive hit, and at the end of the second series - which finished on 13 July 2007 - had given away over £8 million in 512 programmes, including three winners of the £250,000 jackpot prize. In March 2006, Edmonds had his contract for presenting ''Deal or No Deal'' extended until Autumn 2007, for a fee rumoured at £3 million, making him one of the highest paid personalities on UK television. Edmonds was recently nominated for a BAFTA award for his work on the programme but lost out on the night to ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross''.

On 16 March 2007, Edmonds made a cameo appearance as himself in a sketch with Catherine Tate who appeared in the guise of her character Joannie "Nan" Taylor from ''The Catherine Tate Show''. Nan appeared on a special episode of ''Deal or No Deal'', where she ended up cheating. The sketch was made for the BBC Red Nose Day fund raising programme of 2007.

''The National Lottery: Everyone's A Winner!''

On 21 August 2006, it was announced that Edmonds would be returning to the BBC to host a one-off programme called ''Everyone's A Winner!'' celebrating National Lottery "good causes". The programme was broadcast on 23 September 2006.

Edmonds had in fact presented the very first National Lottery in 1994 before handing over to Anthea Turner and Gordon Kennedy.

''Are You Smarter Than A 10 Year Old?''

On 24 May 2007, Sky One announced that Edmonds would host the UK version of the American hit, ''Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?'', entitled ''Are You Smarter Than A 10 Year Old?''. The programme debuted on Sky One on 7 October 2007, at 6pm. Edmonds hosts the peaktime showing of the programme, whereas the Daily Programme is presented by Dick and Dom.

''Noel's HQ''

Sky1's autumn 2008 season saw Edmonds host ''Noel's HQ'', a new live entertainment show with a philanthropic purpose, with his fees going to a charitable trust. This was later developed into a series. The show received negative reviews. Sky edited a repeat broadcast after Edmonds launched an extended verbal attack on a council press officer. In March 2009 Sky1 announced the cancellation of the show.

Other television appearances

Edmonds was involved in the historic Live Aid concerts in 1985, transporting stars to and from the Wembley concert via helicopter and appearing on stage at Wembley to introduce the set by Sting and Phil Collins. Edmonds also took Collins to Heathrow Airport, where Collins boarded Concorde to fly to America to perform at the Philadelphia concert.

''Noel's Christmas Presents'' was an annual broadcast made on Christmas Day in which Edmonds delivered special presents to various people. Some of the gifts included arranging trips to Lapland for ill or disadvantaged children, or arranging family reunions. ''Noel's Christmas Presents'' returned to UK screens courtesy of Sky One on 23 December 2007 and again on 21 December 2008 and 20 December 2009 and 18 December 2010.

In 1997, Edmonds was involved in an episode of the Chris Morris spoof documentary series ''Brass Eye'', in which he unwittingly pledged his allegiance on camera to a campaign to rid the country of a new killer drug, the entirely fictitious 'cake', which apparently made 10 seconds appear as a few hours to a user.

''The Curse of Noel Edmonds'', a documentary tracing the rise and fall of his showbiz career, was transmitted by Five on 9 November 2004, with former Radio 1 DJ Mike Read being one of the contributors to the programme.

He was also a guest host for the fourth-series episode of ''The Friday Night Project'', broadcast on 26 January 2007.

Noel was a guest on BBC One The One Show on Wednesday 10 September 2008.

He was visited by Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor in 1993 in the introduction of the 30 year Doctor Who anniversary Children in Need special Dimensions in Time, during which The Doctor mentioned that Noel would still be on television in the year 2010.

Unique Group

In 1985, Edmonds formed the Unique Group, which now consists of various operations. The "Unique Broadcasting Company Media Group" plc (UBCMG) is an independent producer of audio programming in the UK, supplying BBC and independent radio. Michael Peacock was an executive of the group between 1989 and 2005, and former Radio 1 controller Johnny Beerling joined the group following his departure from the network in 1993. It owned Classic Gold Digital before selling the stations back to GCap Media who merged them into the Gold network. Edmonds resigned as non-executive director of UBCMG in March 2006 as a direct result of the success of ''Deal or no Deal''. Edmonds also has interests in Unique Motor Company, a producer of small off road vehicles.

Theme parks

Edmonds-licensed theme park attractions based on Crinkley Bottom and Mr Blobby were set up in existing parks at Cricket St Thomas in Somerset and Pleasurewood Hills Theme Park in Lowestoft Suffolk. A park was also built in Morecambe on the site of the former Happy Mount Park. Following disappointing visitor numbers, and in the case of Morecambe, legal disputes with the local council, the deal was scrapped and the park closed. The two existing parks reverted to their previous state. Edmonds was said to be very critical of Lancaster City Council's management of the Morecambe park. A report by the District Auditor found that the council had behaved 'unlawfully' in its dealings with Edmonds, which cost £2.5m, and two former senior officers were found to have committed 'misconduct', although this was not deemed to be 'wilful'. The affair was dubbed 'Blobbygate' by the media.

Politics

Edmonds is a trustee of the Renewable Energy Foundation, (REF) an organisation which is strongly opposed to wind farms. He was said to have joined "because of the threat near his home in Devon". He has been quoted as saying that, "Politicians are promoting the wind industry as a green icon, but they are misleading the public into believing the propaganda of the wind industry. The reality is that wind power is too costly and can never meet our energy needs; but it will destroy the countryside". His view is that those who are promoting wind farms are energy companies with a vested financial interest and that wind turbines are not reliable enough as a source of sustainable energy.

He coordinated the Heart of Devon campaign to provide information for farmers affected by the foot and mouth epidemic in 2000.

On the basis that Britain's energy resources are stretched Edmonds has called for a total ban on migrants coming into Britain saying, "I'm very straightforward on immigration - the bus is full."

Personal life

Edmonds was married to Gillian Slater from 1971, but the marriage ended in divorce after eleven years. In July 1986, he married Helen Soby, and the couple have four daughters: Charlotte, Lorna, Olivia and Alice. The couple bought an estate at Jacobstowe, near Okehampton, Devon as a family home. In 2004, he and Soby divorced, splitting with much tabloid publicity due to her extramarital affair.

After his second divorce, Edmonds started a relationship with Marjan Simmons, a French estate agent. They dated for a year until summer 2006. Simmons later went to the press, telling how she was left heart-broken after he dumped her, claiming she felt "discarded" by him after he battled to regain his television career.

It was reported that Edmonds was involved with English teacher and former Miss England Pauline Bull, who lives in Monaco, close to his £3m home in Magagnosc, near Grasse, in the South of France. However, Edmonds stated that he was not ready to get seriously involved in a relationship so soon after his second divorce.

On July 23, 2009 Edmonds' married his third wife, Liz Davies a make-up artist on the programme Deal or No Deal in Lower Slaughter Gloucestershire.

As a result of his success on ''Deal or No Deal'', Edmonds purchased a new home in Devon, a £1.7 million Grade-II manor house.

Edmonds is a licensed helicopter pilot, and one of his early personal aircraft was registered G-NOEL He was president of the British Horse Society between 2004 and 2007 Edmonds was one of the trio Brown Sauce, along with Maggie Philbin and Keith Chegwin, who released the single "I Wanna Be a Winner" in 1981, reaching number 15 in the UK singles chart.

Edmonds has engaged in property development. Edmonds bought a country house in Devon that was in need of repair in order to develop new properties on the land. After disagreements, with two business partners over payments Edmonds is suing for a reported £400,000.

TV licence boycott

Edmonds claimed that he had stopped payment on his TV licence in early 2008, in response to the sometimes controversial methods used to enforce collection of the licence. Edmonds declared that it is wrong to "threaten" and "badger" people, in response to the collection authority's common assumption that the non-possession of a licence can mean licence avoidance, as well as the large fines which can be used as enforcement for non-payment. TV Licensing later claimed that he actually did possess a valid current TV licence, but this claim was denied by a spokesman for Edmonds who said that TV Licensing had their facts wrong.

Spiritualism

For many years Edmonds has been a believer in Spiritualism, in particular the concept of Cosmic ordering a subject he became interested in after being introduced to the book ‘The Cosmic Ordering Service - A Guide to Realising Your Dreams’ by his reflexologist. He had not worked on TV since the end of his BBC TV show ‘Noel's House Party’ in 1999. One of his wishes was for a new challenge. Later he was offered the chance to return to TV to work on ''Deal or No Deal''. Edmonds later went on to write his own book titled "Positively Happy: Cosmic Ways To Change Your Life".

He has also claimed that he is occasionally visited by two melon-sized "spiritual energy" balls, which appear over his shoulders and which he believes to be the spirits of his dead parents. Edmonds further claims that the orbs only appear on digital photographs.

References

External links

Official website

Spoof fansite with several photos of Edmonds from the 70s

Biography at Radio Rewind including sound clips

Aircheck biography

Noel Edmonds Biography page

Category:1948 births Category:BBC people Category:English television executives Category:English radio DJs Category:Deal or No Deal Category:Deputy Lieutenants of Devon Category:English radio personalities Category:English television presenters Category:English game show hosts Category:Living people Category:People from Ilford Category:Pranksters Category:Top of the Pops Category:Top Gear Category:Old Brentwoods

cy:Noel Edmonds de:Noel Edmonds ga:Noel Edmonds simple:Noel Edmonds fi:Noel Edmonds

Coordinates	22°34′12″N17°5′1″N
name	Kerry Katona
birth name	Kerry Jayne Elizabeth Katona
birth date	September 06, 1980
birth place	Warrington, Cheshire, England
nationality	British
employer	ITV/Can Associates TV
occupation	Television and media personality, actress, singer, author, presenter
years active	1998–present
children	4
spouse	(filed for divorce) }}

Kerry Jayne Elizabeth Katona (born 6 September 1980) is an English media personality, best known for her television work, predominantly in light entertainment and reality shows. She has also been a pop singer with girl group Atomic Kitten, a magazine columnist, an actress, and the author of ghostwritten books that include an autobiography and several novels. She has appeared in television commercials, notably for Iceland and Asda supermarkets.

1980–97: ''Early life''

Born in Warrington, England, Katona was brought up partly by her mother, Sue Katona, and partly by her stepfather, foster grandmother and others. Katona's surname is of Hungarian ancestry. As a young girl, she was placed in care and brought up by four sets of foster parents. During that time, she attended eight different schools.

She left school at age sixteen to become a lap dancer. She then joined a dance troupe that toured Europe. She attempted to become a glamour model in her teens and posed for topless photographs. In 2001, some of these photographs resurfaced and were published in Britain by tabloid newspaper ''The Sunday Sport''.

Career

1999–2001: ''Atomic Kitten''

In 1999, at the age of eighteen, Katona rose to fame as a member of all-female pop trio Atomic Kitten, which had been created by former Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark frontman Andy McCluskey. While Katona was in the group, Atomic Kitten only enjoyed limited success, having four top-twenty singles in Britain, and their debut album ''Right Now'' reached number 39 on the British album charts. Despite this, Cradle was a huge hit in Asia, reaching number one there. Katona left the group in January 2001 because she had become pregnant with the child of former Westlife member Brian McFadden, and also due to her dislike of travelling. Atomic Kitten's single "Whole Again" reached Number One in Britain days after her departure. Jenny Frost replaced Katona in the group.

2004–present: ''Television career''

After marrying McFadden and taking his surname, Katona moved into television work, appearing on and presenting a mix of light entertainment programmes such as ''Britain's Sexiest...'', ''Loose Women,'' and ''Elimidate''. In February 2004, she won the third series of the British reality TV show ''I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!''. In July of that year, Katona and McFadden appeared as judges on the RTÉ talent show ''You're a Star'', which was used to select the Republic of Ireland's Eurovision Song Contest entry. On separating from McFadden in September 2004 she reverted to her maiden name.

In July 2005, Katona starred in ''My Fair Kerry'' on ITV, where she was taught airs and graces to transform herself from ladette to lady. Also in 2005 she starred in an Irish drama called ''Showbands''.

Between 2007 and 2009, Katona was the subject of three MTV reality shows: ''Kerry Katona: Crazy in Love'', ''Kerry Katona: Whole Again'', and ''Kerry Katona: What's the Problem?'' From a peak audience of 500,000 for ''Kerry Katona: Crazy in Love'', viewership for ''Kerry Katona: What's the Problem?'', a series about Katona's bipolar disorder, slumped to just 19,000. Katona was dropped by MTV in August 2009.

In late 2009, Katona attempted to become a contestant on ''Celebrity Big Brother 2010'' but was rejected by the show's executives after she failed the required psychological tests.

Katona's latest reality show ''Kerry Coming Clean'' aired on 24 June 2010. Katona has been banned from using drugs or reuniting with Mark Croft as a part of her contract with management team Can Associates. The documentary covers the tribulations of Katona's separation from Croft and signing with Peter Andre's management company Can Associates. She was later dropped from the company after a holiday she spent in Malaga partying.

Katona was a contestant on Dancing on Ice Series 6 with English ice skater Daniel Whiston. They were eliminated in week 5 in a skate off against Jeff Brazier and partner Isabelle Gauthier.

Katona was the first housemate to enter the Big Brother House for the 2011 series of Celebrity Big Brother.

Other projects

Formerly represented by publicist Max Clifford, with whom she parted by mutual agreement in October 2008, Katona has had endorsement deals with Iceland and Asda supermarkets. On 17 August 2009, Iceland released Katona from her £290,000 contract. The company stated that it was "impossible" to continue featuring Katona in its advertising campaigns after photographs appeared in the ''News Of The World'' tabloid, allegedly showing her taking cocaine in the bathroom of her home.

Katona has released an autobiography, ''Kerry Katona: Too Much, Too Young''; a self-help book, ''Survive the Worst and Aim for the Best: How to Get Your Life Back on Track''; and three novels, ''Tough Love'', ''The Footballer's Wife'', and ''Glamour Girl''. All of her books have been ghostwritten. Until 2008, she wrote a regular column for ''OK! Magazine''.

Katona is a patron of The Shannon Bradshaw Trust, a charity based in Warrington, which helps children with life-threatening conditions, and their families.

Personal life

On 31 August 2001, Katona gave birth to Molly Marie McFadden, daughter of former Westlife star Brian McFadden. On 5 January 2002, the couple married at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Rathfeigh, County Meath, Republic of Ireland, with Katona's former Atomic Kitten colleague Natasha Hamilton as bridesmaid. The couple spent their honeymoon in Mauritius. Their second daughter, Lilly-Sue, was born on 3 February 2003. The couple separated in September 2004 and their divorce was finalised in December 2006.

On 14 February 2007, Katona married taxi driver Mark Croft in a private ceremony in Gretna Green, with two friends as witnesses. Six days later, on 20 February 2007, the couple's daughter Heidi Elizabeth Croft was delivered by Caesarean section at Macclesfield General Hospital. Six weeks premature, the baby weighed .

On 15 July 2007, Katona and Croft were held hostage at their £1.5 million home in Wilmslow, Cheshire, along with their daughter Heidi. They reported that three men forcibly entered their home, one of whom held Katona at knife-point while the others forced Croft to show them where valuables were kept. Nobody was physically harmed, but the men left with a blue BMW and other valuables with an estimated total value between £100,000 – £150,000. On 19 July 2007, police found the undamaged car ten miles away on Reeves Road in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester.

On 19 July 2007, Katona was admitted to The Priory hospital suffering from bipolar disorder. Her publicist, Max Clifford, claimed she had suffered from the disorder for some time, but her symptoms were aggravated when armed robbers broke into her home.

Katona announced in late September 2007 that she was expecting her fourth child, her second with Croft. At one point, she feared that she had suffered a miscarriage but further examination found the foetus was still alive, and due in May 2008. On 30 December 2007 she announced that her fourth child would be a boy named Maxwell Mark, after Max Clifford and her husband Mark. Five weeks before the due date, and after two days of labour, she gave birth to a baby on 11 April 2008, at 5.42 pm.

On 21 August 2008, Katona was declared bankrupt at the High Court in London after failing to pay the final £82,000 of a £417,000 tax bill. After losing her Iceland contract, her magazine column, and her MTV shows, Katona suffered further financial setbacks. In December 2009, she received a repossession order on her £1.5 million home, having not paid her mortgage in months.

On 13 March 2009, Katona's financial advisor Frank Cochran read a statement to the media stating that Katona and Croft had decided to divorce. On 16 March 2009, it was reported that Katona and Croft had reconciled.

On 27 August 2009, it was reported that Katona was under investigation by Cheshire Police after allegations she had assaulted her accountant, and for criminal damage and a public order offence. After being arrested and questioned, she was released on police bail until 12 October 2009, pending further enquiries.

In February 2010, the media reported that Katona had separated from Croft again after he accused her of becoming romantically involved with fitness instructor Kevin Green. Katona went on holiday to Tenerife with her youngest daughter after the split.

Katona has been criticised for smoking and drinking alcohol during her pregnancies. The Foundation for the Study of Infant Death (FSID) warned Katona that babies of smokers are up to fifteen times more likely to die from a cot death, and the British Heart Foundation also condemned Katona for smoking while pregnant. Katona defended her behaviour after these statements were made.

Appearing on 12 February 2008 edition of Channel 4's ''Richard & Judy'' show, Katona admitted that she had taken cocaine, but claimed that she had not taken any drugs for the past three years. She also claimed that the press was constantly making up stories about her and claimed that she was in the process of renewing her contract with Iceland.

When she appeared on 22 October 2008 live episode of ITV1's This Morning show, Katona's speech appeared to be slurred, prompting questions about her well-being. Katona later claimed her slurred speech was the result of having taken prescription drugs late the previous night. According to the presenters, she was angry at having been asked about it on air. In the same interview, when presenter Fern Britton asked whether her drug addiction had been replaced by an alcohol addiction, Katona rejected the suggestion.

In December 2010, Katona admitted to taking cocaine during her marriage to Croft.

Discography

Studio albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions
		! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"
! scope="row"		*Released: 23 October 2000	Virgin Records>Virgin (CDSIN#6)	Compact Cassette>cassette	1

Singles

– – – – – 1

+ List of singles, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name

scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:17em;"

Title

Year

Peak chart positions

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"

Album

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"

! scope="row"

1999

8

46

|

–

–

–

40

—

scope="row"

"Cradle"

–

–

|

–

–

–

—

—

scope="row"

"See Ya"

6

–

|

–

50

–

–

—

scope="row"

"I Want Your Love"

10

–

|

–

48

–

–

—

scope="row"

"Follow Me"

20

–

|

–

–

–

–

—

scope="row"

"Whole Again"

2001

1

2

|

1

1

1

1

2

*UK: Platinum

*AUS: 2× Platinum

*GER: Platinum

*NL: Platinum

*NZ: 2× Platinum

Bibliography

Emily Herbert wrote a biography about Katona in September 2005 called ''Kerry: Story of a Survivor''.

Katona released her own autobiography on 5 October 2006 titled ''Too Much, Too Young'' with ghostwriter Fanny Blake and Katona's mother who consented to have her story told as well.

In October 2007, Katona released her first novel. ''Tough Love'' (produced with the aid of a ghost-writer) follows the story of the Crompton family and was published by Ebury Press. A second ghostwritten novel, ''The Footballer's Wife'', was published in 2008.

References

External links

Kerry Katona This Morning Interview

Kerry Katona's biography at Random House

Kerry Katona's biography at Biogs

Category:1980 births Category:Atomic Kitten members Category:British people of Hungarian descent Category:British actors of Hungarian descent Category:English child actors Category:English child singers Category:English writers Category:English female singers Category:English pop singers Category:English television personalities Category:English television presenters Category:I'm a Celebrity…Get Me out of Here! contestants Category:Living people Category:Participants in British reality television series Category:People from Warrington Category:People with bipolar disorder Category:Reality show winners Category:Reality television judges Category:You're a Star judges

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