Olly Smith

Olly Smith
Smith in 2009
Born (1974-09-18) 18 September 1974
Darlington, County Durham, England
OccupationsTelevision presenter, wine expert, author
SpouseSophie Smith
Children2
RelativesWill Smith (brother)

Olly Smith (born 18 September 1974) is a British wine expert and television presenter.

Education and career

Having discovered a love for singing at eight years of age,[1] he became a chorister at King's College, Cambridge, which saw him travel to sing in Japan, East Berlin and Finland.[2] He earned a music scholarship to Charterhouse School,[3] where he met his future wife Sophie Smith.[4] He gained a master's degree in English Literature at the University of Edinburgh.[5]

Smith worked in a wine shop as a cellar boy. He worked as a film and TV writer until he took part in Hardys-backed TV competition Wine Idol in 2005, and won.[6] Part of his prize was an audition to appear on Great Food Live.[7] Realising that there were opportunities for him to make a career in wine on television, Smith studied wine in his spare time.[8] He eventually made it onto a Sky One series, Taste, and appeared on the Richard and Judy Wine Club, Saturday Kitchen, The Wheel, Mastermind and Tipping Point.[9]

Family background

The son of a nurse and a music teacher,[10] Smith's older brother is the comedian and writer Will Smith.[11] Smith was born in Darlington, County Durham, and grew up in Jersey.[12] He lives in Sussex with his family.[13]

Writing

Smith has written five books, Eat & Drink: Good Food That's Great to Drink With[14] in 2010, Wine: Both Barrels[15] in 2012, Behind Enemy Wines[16] in 2013, Drinking For Chaps in 2018, and Fizz in 2019.[5] His sixth book, Home Cocktail Bible, was published in November 2021.

Smith previously wrote for film and TV including three series of Pingu,[17] Wallace and Gromit and Charlie and Lola.[18][19]

Television

Smith regularly appears as a drinks expert on BBC1's Saturday Kitchen.[20]

He presented two series of Ale Trails for the Travel Channel in 2016 and 2017 and in September 2014 presented a four-part series Last Taste of Summer, which aired on This Morning.[21][22]

In 2011, he presented a ten-part series for Channel 4 entitled The Secret Supper Club.[23]

In February 2022, Smith won an episode of Celebrity Mastermind; his specialist subject was the 1987 British black comedy film Withnail and I.[24]

In June 2024, Smith was a contestant on an episode of Celebrity Bridge of Lies.[25]

Smith has made guest appearances on podcast Grilled by The Staff Canteen.[26]

Awards

In 2011, Smith was named by Off Licence News among the top 75 most influential people in the UK wine trade.[27]

  • Best Drinks Writer – Great British Food Awards 2019, 2017 & 2016
  • United Kingdom Vineyards Association Communicator of the Year 2012[28]
  • Roederer Awards Finalist for International Columnist of the Year 2012[29]
  • Wines of Portugal Journalism Award 2012[30]
  • International Wine & Spirits Communicator of the Year Award 2009[31]
  • Drinks Business Young Achiever of the Year Award 2009[32]

References

  1. ↑ Series 4 Ep6 - Richard Bainbridge and Olly Smith 'The Wine Guy', retrieved 15 May 2022
  2. ↑ Series 4 Ep6 - Richard Bainbridge and Olly Smith 'The Wine Guy', retrieved 15 May 2022
  3. ↑ Series 4 Ep7 - Richard Bainbridge and Jeremy Lee, retrieved 15 May 2022
  4. ↑ Series 4 Ep7 - Richard Bainbridge and Jeremy Lee, retrieved 15 May 2022
  5. 1 2 "Smith, Olly, (born 18 Sept. 1974), wine columnist and TV presenter; wine expert, Saturday Kitchen, since 2007 | WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO". www.ukwhoswho.com. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U292889. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: periodical has ISBN (link)
  6. ↑ Series 4 Ep6 - Richard Bainbridge and Olly Smith 'The Wine Guy', retrieved 15 May 2022
  7. ↑ Series 4 Ep6 - Richard Bainbridge and Olly Smith 'The Wine Guy', retrieved 15 May 2022
  8. ↑ Series 4 Ep6 - Richard Bainbridge and Olly Smith 'The Wine Guy', retrieved 15 May 2022
  9. ↑ Series 4 Ep6 - Richard Bainbridge and Olly Smith 'The Wine Guy', retrieved 15 May 2022
  10. ↑ Series 4 Ep6 - Richard Bainbridge and Olly Smith 'The Wine Guy', retrieved 15 May 2022
  11. ↑ "Olly Smith on Twitter: "@tvpeanuts Yes I am related to Will Smith! I'm delighted to reveal that he is my brother, do follow him @willsmithuk"". Twitter.com. 28 April 2011. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  12. ↑ Reporter (7 September 2014). "My favourite holiday Olly Smith". sundaypost.com. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  13. ↑ "TV Wine Expert Olly Smith Raises A Glass To Sussex". absolutelymagazines.com. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  14. ↑ "Eat & Drink, signed copy". Olly Smith. 11 November 2014. Archived from the original on 24 January 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  15. ↑ "Wine: Both Barrels, signed copy". Olly Smith. 11 November 2014. Archived from the original on 28 April 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  16. ↑ "Behind Enemy Wines, signed copy". Olly Smith. Archived from the original on 28 April 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  17. ↑ Series 4 Ep7 - Richard Bainbridge and Jeremy Lee, retrieved 15 May 2022
  18. ↑ "About". Olly Smith. 11 November 2014. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  19. ↑ Series 4 Ep7 - Richard Bainbridge and Jeremy Lee, retrieved 15 May 2022
  20. ↑ "BBC Saturday Kitchen". Olly Smith. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  21. ↑ "Last Taste of Summer". Olly Smith. 11 November 2014. Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  22. ↑ "Iron Chef UK", Wikipedia, 30 January 2021, retrieved 12 March 2021
  23. ↑ "The Secret Supper Club - All 4". Channel4.com. 12 February 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  24. ↑ "Celebrity Mastermind". ollysmith.com. 19 February 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  25. ↑ "Celebrity Bridge of Lies". bbc.co.uk/programmes. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  26. ↑ "Grilled by The Staff Canteen". SoundCloud. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  27. ↑ Off Licence News, 16 May 2011, Top 75 Most Influential People in Wine
  28. ↑ "Olly wins Communicator of the Year!". Olly Smith. 19 July 2012. Archived from the original on 26 November 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  29. ↑ "Louis Roederer Wine Writers Awards | finalists". Theroedererawards.com. Archived from the original on 26 November 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  30. ↑ "Olly wins Journalism Award!". Olly Smith. March 2012. Archived from the original on 26 November 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  31. ↑ "IWSC Communicator of the Year 2009 announced at Vinitaly Gala opening night" (PDF). Tizwine.com. April 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  32. ↑ "Drinks Business Awards 2009". Thedrinksbusiness.com. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
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