Frances Edmonds is a broadcaster, writer, TV and radio presenter, multi-lingual interpreter and speaker. Educated at the Ursuline Convent in Chester (an experience from which neither party truly recovered) and New Hall Cambridge, she graduated in 1973 with an Honours Degree in Modern Languages and humorous tendencies in French, Italian, Spanish and English.
Frances combines a lively sense of humour and quick wit with her knowledge of sport, broadcasting, journalism, radio and television. Professional and friendly in her approach, she accepts speaking engagements on more serious subjects and as a panellist. But she is most frequently invited to add her own individual style to events as an after lunch or after dinner.
She trained as a conference interpreter at the Commission of the European Communities (European Union) in Brussels, travelling extensively for international organisations including the EU, UN, OECD and WEU, and for the Heads of State and Government at their annual World Economic Summits.
In 1976 Frances married Middlesex and England cricketer, Phil Edmonds. Accompanying him on England’s tour to the West Indies (1986) she wrote her first, controversial, best-seller Another Bloody Tour which launched her career as a writer, broadcaster and after dinner speaker. In 1987, she went with the England cricket team to Australia and produced Cricket XXXX Cricket, a number one best-seller in the UK and Australia. In Australia she co-hosted Channel 10’s top rating breakfast TV show “Good Morning Australia” and covered the cricket and the America’s Cup for The Times in London.
In 1989, Frances wrote Members Only – an irreverent search for signs of intelligent, independent life in Westminster. She found few. Her first novel Samson & Delilah and her second, Star Of Heaven were both published (Pan-Macmillan) to critical acclaim. Her third novel Faster Higher Further More is a tale of money, power, greed and corruption. Winning The Game of Life was published in June 2001.
She presented “Women On Top”, a programme about women on and in sport for BBC Radio 5 Live and “Women’s Troubles” , a humorous and iconoclastic panel game featuring female alternative comedians. Frances has also presented GMTV’s “Sunday Best” programme and appears regularly on TV and radio, including reviewing the papers.