Julian Simmons
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Julian Simmons is a Northern Irish television presenter, who is best known as a continuity announcer on UTV.
Julian has worked at the station since 1984. He usually introduces the programmes in-vision, rather than providing a voiceover over an ident, making UTV the only ITV region to still use in-vision continuity.
In addition to announcing the following programmes, he also introduces competitions under the Watch to Win banner. He can sometimes be seen presenting the UTV weather forecast at c. 22.55 on Friday evenings. He also provides voiceovers for local television advertisements and UTV programme trails.
Julian originally provided weekend and relief continuity duty as he held a full-time job in Air Canada, and later British Airways. Until c.1992, Julian also presented news bulletins on Ulster Television.
From 1993 to 1996, Julian's continuity duties on Friday evenings were branded as Julian on Friday. As well as introducing the evening's programmes on UTV, Julian invited viewers to enter a weekly draw to win dinner at a Belfast restaurant and tickets to the Kelly show. The draw for the competition took place after Kelly and before, as he personally introduced them, "the lusty big wee-men of Prisoner: Cell Block H". Julian drew the winner's name out of a pink tombola decorated in bow ties.
When on announcing duty for UTV, Julian also regularly read out greetings and messages sent in by viewers, which he usually performed before high-rated series as Coronation Street and Blind Date. He continued to do this until the early 2000s.
As well as his UTV continuity duties, he also currently works in a travel shop in the Ballyhackamore area of Belfast.
[edit] Presenting style
Julian's presenting style has been compared to that of a far less lewd Graham Norton, with campness being an important factor.
He is most famous for this when announcing the start of the ITV soap Coronation Street, when just before broadcast he begins, "But now on the UTV...".
From around 1993 to 1998, Julian wore bright-coloured jackets and bow-ties on duty.
There have been numerous references to Julian in the Belfast Telegraph newspaper stating that "he is as gay as a may pole".
