Jan Leeming (born Janet Dorothy Atkins; 5 January 1942) is an English TV presenter and newsreader. Early life and personal life Leeming was born in Barnehurst, Kent, and educated at the Assumption Convent, Charlton and St Joseph's Convent Grammar School, Abbey Wood. Leeming has been married and divorced five times. She also had a brief relationship in the 1960s with New Zealand writer Owen Leeming, between her first and second marriages. Although they never married, she took his name by deed poll and did not change it after their separation. Career Presenter and actress She worked as an actress and presenter in Australia and New Zealand before becoming a well-known face on British television in regional and children's programmes. An early UK TV role came in the BBC sitcom Hugh and I in December 1966. In 1969, she joined the presenting team of BBC1's children's science programme Tom Tom, which she co-hosted until 1970. In 1976, she fronted the 10–part BBC2 handicraft series Knitting Fashion which was repeated several times through to 1978. From 1977, she was the presenter of the BBC's regional programme Zodiac & Co for the South West area, switching to the Midlands for the regional show Midlands Tonight in 1979. Leeming began a long stint presenting the Monday–Friday BBC1 afternoon show Pebble Mill at One between 1976 and 1979, during which time she also often co-presented Radio 4's Woman's Hour. Beginning in April 1980, she became one of Britain's best-known newsreaders across the BBC and also hosted the 1982 Eurovision Song Contest. She has kept a relatively low profile since leaving the newsroom in 1987, with bit parts and one-off specials including as a stand-in newsreader for the Channel 4's breakfast show The Big Breakfast during the 1990s. Her recent appearances include one as herself in the film Whatever Happened to Harold Smith?, starring Tom Courtenay, in 1999; and latterly on The Harry Hill Show; So Graham Norton; Lowri; Good Morning Australia; Esther and Through the Keyhole. At the Barbican she presented the RAF concert to mark the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Since 2000, much of her time has been spent in corporate work and her longtime passion working with a cheetah conservation charity in South Africa. She appeared in Safari School, a reality television series, which was first broadcast on BBC Two during January and February 2007. In February 2010, Leeming appeared