Caron Keating
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Caron Keating (5 October 1962 – 13 April 2004) was a British television presenter.
She died of Breast cancer at the age of 41, at her mother's house in Sevenoaks, Kent.
[edit] Life
Born in Fulham, West London, aged 3 months her parents moved back to Northern Ireland, where she was raised. Her parents were television presenter Gloria Hunniford and BBC producer Don Keating. Caron attended Methodist College Belfast, where she gained 8 'O' levels and 3 'A' levels. Caron was accepted to study at Bristol University where she graduated three years later aged 21 with a BA Honours Degree in English and Drama.
Keating's television career began in Northern Ireland where she presented The Video Picture Show, Channel One and the music programme Greenrock, but her big break undoubtedly came when she was selected to join the team of Blue Peter from 13 November 1986.
Keating brought a new, 'trendy' image to the programme, and was extremely popular with both male and female viewers because of her looks and fashion-conscious image. She appeared on the programme alongside Peter Duncan, Janet Ellis, Mark Curry, Yvette Fielding, and John Leslie. Highlights of her Blue Peter career included a trip to Moscow in 1987 when perestroika was still in its fledging stages, swimming with sharks, abseiling down skyscrapers and standing strapped to the top of a light aircraft whilst it performed aerial acrobatics.
After four years she left Blue Peter on 22 January 1990. Keating went on to present several other programmes including This Morning, before being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997.
After various conventional and alternate treatments, including a period away from her family on the Gold Coast, Australia and at a hospice in Switzerland, she died at the age of 41, on April 13, 2004, at her mother's house in Sevenoaks, Kent.
Keating was married to Russ Lindsay, and the couple had two boys, Charlie and Gabriel. Russ remarried on 4 September 2006 to television presenter Sally Meen.
[edit] The Caron Keating Foundation
Set up in Keating's memory, The Caron Keating Foundation is a fund-raising partnership set up to raise money to offer financial support to professional carers, complimentary healing practitioners, and support groups dealing with cancer patients, as well as individuals and families who are affected by the disease. It will also financially help a number of cancer charities with their ongoing quest for prevention, early detection and hopefully an ultimate cure.
| Preceded by: Peter Duncan |
Blue Peter Presenter No. 16 1986-90 |
Succeeded by: Diane-Louise Jordan |
