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 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. She was a stand-in newsreader for the
Channel 4's breakfast show
The Big Breakfast during the 1990s. Her later appearances included a role as herself in the film
Whatever Happened to Harold Smith?, starring
Tom Courtenay, in 1999; and latterly on
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 in a celebrity episode of the dining programme
Come Dine with Me for
Channel 4.
''I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!'' In November 2006, Leeming was a contestant on the
sixth series of ''
I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!'' on
ITV. She was evicted on the 19th day of the series where she finished 6th.
Searching for René In 2013 Leeming researched, wrote and presented a BBC
Inside Out documentary on the
World War II Free French Pilot, René Mouchotte. Through her research she met the Director of the Allied Air Forces Museum at Elvington near York. Ian Reed was able to source historic material which added to Leeming's programme. She is now a Vice President of the Museum.
The Real Marigold Hotel In January and February 2016, Leeming appeared in the three-part BBC series
The Real Marigold Hotel, which followed a group of old celebries including
Miriam Margolyes and
Wayne Sleep on a journey to India. In December 2017, she also appeared in the second season of
The Real Marigold on Tour to
Havana.
Celebrity First Dates Broadcast on 2 November 2017, Leeming took part in a special celebrity edition of Channel 4's
First Dates, in aid of
Stand Up To Cancer.
Money for Nothing Leeming donated the money raised in the celebrity edition to
Brooke, Action for Working Horses and Donkeys.
The Real Marigold on Tour – Cuba Leeming joined Miriam Margolyes, Wayne Sleep and Bobby George in the BBC One programme
The Real Marigold on Tour when they visited Cuba to look at how Cubans treat their elderly and the way the elderly spend their retirement.
The Real Marigold on Tour – Argentina In February 2019, Leeming joined Sheila Ferguson, Wayne Sleep and Paul Nicholas in the BBC One programme
The Real Marigold on Tour when they visited Buenos Aires, Argentina. ==Personal life==