The Horror Channel has plucked an unknown North London model from obscurity to take the coveted role of its star presenter. Jade Fox, 22, fought off stiff competition from hundreds of established actors and presenters to front the channel.
Jade, a classics graduate from Kings College London, joined throngs of other hopefuls at open auditions on 27 February. She will present the 10 �o� clock movie every night and give insider background on each film, its cast and crew.
Jade previously worked in IT and also modelled as a hobby. A horror buff herself, Jade is a huge fan of Hammer and Amicus films and relishes her new role presenting the movies she loves.
SGM: Getting selected as the visible 'face' of The Horror Channel must be both an exciting and slightly unnerving one. How are you feeling as the channel's launch swiftly approaches?
Jade Fox: Quite giddy, really, but very, very excited. The audition day was absolutely nerve-wracking, and I really didn't think I was going to get the job. So when they phoned and told me I had the job, I was absolutely over the moon. Since then horror films have taken over my life - I've always been a fan, but now I'm out meeting all of the directors and stars of these films I love, which is just wonderful. It's also quite weird to keep seeing myself on the internet and in magazines, but it's also absolutely thrilling.
SGM: How does it feel to be the latest in a long line of female horror TV presenters following in the footsteps of folk like Vampira, Elvira right through to Eileen Daly and Emily Booth et al?
Jade Fox: It's wonderful - I actually met Emily Booth briefly and she was lovely, and I'm interviewing Eileen for the channel, quite soon, because we're showing lots of Salvation movies. And Elvira is fantastic - I love her movie Elvira Mistress of the Dark, and think she's so funny - like an American version of Fenella Fielding in Carry On Screaming!
SGM: Although things are welcomingly changing with more women visible on the scene, the horror community has ominously long been the domain of the 'single bloke'. Are you ready for the onslaught of inevitable fan boy adoration?
Jade Fox: I'm sure that won't happen to me - there are lots of far more beautiful women out there for people to be interested in.
SGM: What about your own appreciation of the horror genre? Everyone remembers their first childhood experiences of cowering behind the cushion watching late night horror on TV, what film was it in those early days that introduced your love to the genre? And what tickles your fright button these days?
Jade Fox: As a kid, I just loved horror movies - my favourites were the Nightmare on Elm Street films - my friends and I used to have sleep-overs and watch these films and then we could never get to sleep! I also loved An American Werewolf In London, Poltergeist, Jack The Ripper, Halloween and Dr Terror's House of Horrors, which was my absolute favourite. I was saying to someone just the other day how sad it is that there don't seem to be any independent video shops any more - my friends and I used to love going in and staring at the really lurid horror film boxes, all of which we were too young to see, and trying to wheedle our mums into getting them for us.
Recently, I've really enjoyed Dog Soldiers, Deathwatch (which gave me nightmares), Cabin Fever, the Jeepers Creepers films, Ginger Snaps 1 & 2, May and Freddie Vs Jason, which I thought was hilarious. I'm so pleased that there's a horror film boom at the moment, and I can't wait for Van Helsing!
SGM: Now that you'll hopefully soon become a 'name' in horror circles do you fancy dipping your toes into acting in a genre movie? And if so, what director would you like to work with and what sort of role would you fancy?
Jade Fox: I'd love too, but not for a while. I'd absolutely adore working with Wes Craven or Tobe Hooper, but also Neil Marshall and Michael Bassett, who I think have led the charge of the British horror film revival.
As to the type of role I'd like to play� you tend to find that the only female villains are vampires or monsters. I think it would be really good fun to play a female serial killer, because nobody would expect it. Well, they probably wouldn't if I hadn't just said it!