Biography

Cathy McGowan was born in 1943. She is an actress and writer, known for Ready, Steady, Go! (1963), ITV Play of the Week (1955) and Discwizz (1964). She was previously married to Hywel Bennett.

Cathy continued to work in journalism and broadcasting after the show went off the air. She was a board member of London's Capital Radio when it was launched in 1973. In the late 1980s she worked for the BBC's Newsroom South East, specializing in stories relating to entertainment, wherein interviewed a range of celebrities. One of those was singer Michael Ball (born 1962), who later became her partner.

She lives with singer and actor Michael Ball (1992 -present).

Subject of tribute song 1978 tribute song "Ready, Steady, Go!" by British punk band Generation X, a group fronted by a young Billy Idol.

Separated from Hywel Bennett about 1976 divorced Dec 1978 but not made absolute,.

The ground-breaking rock music show Ready, Steady, Go! (1963) was first broadcast in August of 1963, its launch coinciding with the rise of The Beatles as the major force in popular music in the 1960s both in Britain and internationally. With its slogan, "the weekend starts here", "Ready, Steady Go" was shown starting in 1963. Its original presenter Keith Fordyce, a stalwart of the BBC Light Programme and Radio Luxembourg, was joined in 1964 by Cathy.