I love working with children. It's particularly gratifying because I feel I'm able to communicate with children of all kinds.

Floella¹ Benjamin² is best known for appearing in the children's programmes Playschool and Playaway, but she has produced many more and is an ambassador for children everywhere. She also loves flowers and regularly visits the annual Chelsea Flower Show. During an interview carried out by the BBC with her and friend Lesley at the show in 2008, she said that she adored the place and liked the gardens created by children. Lesley said: 'You are just an old kid', to which Floella replied: 'I know'.

Coming To England

Born into a family of six children in Pointe-a-Pierre, Trinidad on 23 September, 1953, Benjamin came to live in Beckenham, South London, England, in 1960 and was reunited with her parents who had left their country several years earlier. In her words, she found England cold, unwelcoming, violent and bleak, she was met with racist comments and when she won a sports award at school was not allowed to take it home because of her colour.

Despite this, with her mother's encouragement, she was determined and passionate about having an education and saw it as her 'passport to life'. She wanted to be a teacher but her parents could not afford for her to stay on and do her A levels so she left at 16 and spent three years working for a bank. Eventually, she raised enough money to do her A levels at night school and passed her banking diploma with the intent of becoming the first black female bank manager. However, realising that dream would not be likely to come true she auditioned for a part in a touring musical called Hair and got the part. It was during this first musical that she met her husband Keith Taylor who she now lives with in London with their son and daughter, Aston and Alvina.

Through The Square Window

Benjamin went on to get several parts in a variety of musicals including Jesus Christ Superstar and the Black Mikado, but she was keen to break into television and made her debut as a prisoner in Within these Walls, which ran from 1973 to 1978. More dramas followed and in 1976 she auditioned for the presenter role in Playschool and got the part. Her beaded hair became her trademark. During the children's programme she introduced children to Humpty, Jemima, Big and Little Ted and Hamble³ She was also the first pregnant children's television presenter to be televised. Playaway followed Playschool and Benjamin found herself dressing up as a whole range of characters from queens to witches alongside well known actors such as Brian Cant, Tony Robinson, Anita Dobson and Griff Rhys-Jones.

Black Joy

In 1977, a film called Black Joy was released featuring Benjamin alongside Norman Beaton and Paul Medford. The play was about a boy coming to live in a big city and learning to fend for himself. It was released at the Cannes festival and was the first British entry ever to appear there. By this time Benjamin had become recognised for her beaded hair and was not best pleased when one photographer tugged at her hair when she walked down the red carpet.

Benjamin has since gone on to appear in Rendition as a CIA agent and taken on the role of THandie Newton's mother in the film Run Fat Boy Run directed by David Schwimmer⁴. She also sings with the author Ken Follett's band.

Owning a Company

In 1987, Benjamin set up her own film company and was commissioned by Channel Four to write a children's programme called The Tree House. The programme was a huge success and featured people such as Bill Oddie, Rick Wakeman, Roger McGough and Linda Bellingham. Since then the company has moved on to create other programmes for other places around the world including Cuba, Barbados Trinidad and Jamaica. She has also produced Jamboree, Hullaballoo and an adaptation of her autobiography Coming to England. The range of programmes she has created does not stop at children’s television though for she has proved herself to be a good cook in programmes such as A Taste of Barbados, Caribbean Light and Caribbean Kitchen.

Activist

Benjamin has long been an advocate for children and has sat on the government's Millennium Commission. She has been involved in raising awareness and money, for a variety of causes such as NCH Action for Children, the Sickle Cell Society and Barnardo's. In a press release with the charity Barnardo's after her 10th marathon Benjamin said:

This has been my biggest challenge ever. It was a moment of madness when I promised to run ten marathons for Barnardo's, but I always keep my promise no matter what it takes. Last year’s marathon was the toughest yet, I went over on my ankle nine miles into the race, it was hell but I kept going– it felt like running in the desert on one leg.

Although, Benjamin has now completed the 10 marathons she promised to do for Barnardo's she has no plans of stopping running just yet and has set herself the goal of running the New York marathon in 2009 in conjunction with her 60th birthday.

I recommend running to all women over 50 – it’s a great way to keep fit and have a firm body. It also stimulates the mind – a wonderful way to get some ‘me time,’ as you are free from communication. When running, I think up ideas for programmes and can write some great speeches in my head. The only problem is, I can’t remember them when I get home!.

In 2001 obtained an OBE for her broadcasting and charity work and was presented a Children's BAFTA Special Award in 2004. She has acted as Chairman for the BAFTA organisation, a Governor of the National Film and Television School.

Encouraging Homegrown Talent

In 2007, Ofcom reported a drop in the number of children's television programmes made in Britain, bringing into question the future of this kind of programme in the country. Floella Benjamin spoke up in favour of creating more homegrown children's television programmes saying: We don't want our children to grow up with American accents, we want them to learn about the culture and diversity around them.