Magenta Devine | |
---|---|
Born | Kim Taylor 4 November 1957[1] Hemel Hempstead, England[1] |
Died | 6 March 2019[1] London, England | (aged 61)
Occupation(s) | Television presenter and journalist |
Years active | 1986–2019 |
Notable credit(s) | Network 7, Rough Guide, Reportage, Young, Gifted and Broke[1][2] |
Magenta Devine (born Kim Taylor;[3][4] 4 November 1957 – 6 March 2019)[1] was a British television presenter,[3] journalist[5] and music promoter[6] best known for presenting the travel programme Rough Guide and youth programme Reportage on BBC2 in the 1990s.[7][1] She later presented Young, Gifted and Broke for ITV.[2][1]
Devine originally worked for Tony Brainsby, a publicist for Queen, Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake.[8] While still living with boyfriend (ex-Generation X bassist) Tony James, she became the music promoter for James's new band Sigue Sigue Sputnik.[9] She began her television career in 1986 as a presenter of BBC Wales's pop music show Juice.[10] Following her breakup with James, producer Janet Street-Porter booked Devine to be a presenter on Channel 4's youth programme Network 7.[1][9][11] She then moved after Street-Porter to BBC2 to present DEF II, of which Rough Guide was a feature before it became a separate programme.[1][9]
Devine appeared on Richard & Judy in 2004, and on Extreme Celebrity Detox in 2005.[5] Her voice-over work included advertisements for Peugeot, Motorola, Toyota, and Sea France.[12] In 2006, Devine fronted an Office of Fair Trading (OFT) campaign that urged consumers in the travel market to book with a member of Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA).[13] In 2001, she narrated a BBC Four programme, The New Romantics – A Fine Romance, on the New Romantic movement.[2][14]
Apart from being a television presenter, she also was UN Goodwill Ambassador in 1998, and campaigned for women's rights.[5]
Devine sought treatment in the 1990s for heroin addiction and depression.[1][9] In 2003, she was declared bankrupt by London's High Court.[12]
Devine died on 6 March 2019, after a short illness for which she was undergoing treatment at a central London hospital. She was 61 years old.[9]