| Paula Yates | |
| |
| Background information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Paula Elizabeth Yates 24 April 1959 Colwyn Bay, North Wales, UK |
| Died | 17 September 2000 (aged 41) London, England |
| Occupation | Writer/Television presenter |
| Years active | 1980–2000 |
| Spouse(s) | Bob Geldof (1986–96) (divorced) |
| Partner | Bob Geldof (1976–86) Michael Hutchence (1995–97) |
| presenter | |
A much more complete treatment can be seen in the Paula Yates article at Wikipedia.
Paula Elizabeth Yates (24 April 1959– 17 September 2000) was a British television presenter and writer, best known for her work on two iconic television programmes, The Tube (with Jools Holland) and The Big Breakfast, where she performed interviews with numerous stars while stretched out on the set's huge bed. After the birth of her daughters, Yates wrote two books on motherhood.
Personal life[]
Yates met Bob Geldof in the early days of his band, the Boomtown Rats; they had three daughters. After ten years together, they married in 1986, with Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran acting as Geldof's best man.
Many people still erroneously think that Yates and the INXS singer Michael Hutchence first met during the infamous interview on the Big Breakfast bed in October 1994, but Yates had interviewed him as early as 1985 on The Tube. They had maintained an irregular contact during the interceding nine years and their love affair had been underway long before the interview. In 1995, Yates left Geldof for Hutchence. Geldof and Yates divorced in May 1996. Two months later Yates's daughter with Hutchence was born.
During the troubles between Hutchence, Geldof, and Yates in 1996, Simon Le Bon (a friend to all three) wrote and recorded the song "Michael, You've Got a Lot to Answer For", released on the album Medazzaland a month before Hutchence's death.
In November 1997, Hutchence was found hanged in a hotel room in Sydney. Yates became distraught, refusing to accept the coroner's verdict of suicide. Yates never entirely recovered from losing him, and had to fight for custody of her daughters.
On 17 September 2000, Yates was found dead at her home in London, of an accidental heroin overdose.