Jenny Hanley

Jenny Hanley has her own weekly show on Boom Radio.

Jenny has appeared in movies alongside Ava Gardner, Peter Sellers and Ingrid Bergman. She turned down legendary lothario warren Beatty and beat Raquel Welch and Brigitte Bardot to the title of the world’s sexiest woman.

Jenny is one of those rare actresses whose career has spanned TV, Film, Theatre and Radio. She is probably most memorable as the face of ITV’s iconic Children’s programme – “Magpie” for six years. But she’s also remembered as the ‘Bond Girl’ in the James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and as Christopher Lee’s Count Dracula prey in Scars of Dracula. She returned to the stage in 2017 in the Agatha Christie ‘The Hollow’ and in 2018 starred in the United National Theatre Company’s ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’

Over her career, Jenny has starred in 10 films. Jenny has had regular radio shows as a presenter, including BBC Radio Berkshire and Radio SAGA, Jenny now features on one of the UK’s youngest radio stations – Boom Radio.

According to a British TV fan site, “It seemed inevitable that Jenny should end up either on the stage or in politics. As it turned out, it was brother Jeremy who opted for the latter (Conservative Party Chairman 1994-5), whilst Jenny began modelling in her teens. She was cast by Harry Saltzman, producer of the Bond films with Cubby Broccoli in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.” She subsequently appeared in a number of UK Films, but it was on the TV series “Magpie” that Jenny found lasting fame.

Her film appearances include the James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970), and the Hammer horror film Scars of Dracula (also 1970). She appeared in the 3D film The Flesh and Blood Show (1972). She has also appeared on television as an actress in such series as Department S, The Persuaders!, The Adventurer, Softly, Softly: Taskforce, Warship, Man About the House and Return of the Saint. Hanley appeared on Magpie from 1974 to 1980.

In 1980, Hanley stepped in to co-present one edition of Saturday Night at the Mill following the dismissal after just 5 shows of Arianna Huffington. This proved a success with viewers and she returned as co-host for the entire 1981 season.

Hanley is the daughter of actors Dinah Sheridan and Jimmy Hanley. After her education at schools in Southern England and in Switzerland, she trained as a nanny and did modelling work. Through her mother she is of Russian and German descent. Hanley’s grandmother was a photographer who, as Studio Lisa, had privileged access to the royal family, photographing both Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret in relaxed, family poses and the next generation, Prince Charles, Princess Anne and Prince Edward in informal shots. She also helped to launch the career of a male model who later became an actor, Roger Moore.

Her brother, Sir Jeremy Hanley, had a career as an accountant and later became a Conservative Party MP. Hanley married Herbie Clark in 1980 and divorced in 1997. Jenny is the mother of two sons and now lives in Hastings.