Amanda Ross
Biography
Initially famous for devising cheap and cheerful regional afternoon quizzes with husband Simon, Amanda is the third member of the Ross media conglomerate (alongside more famous relations Jonathan and Paul) to host a few quizzes on television. She went on to produce Richard & Judy which was made, like her quiz shows, by her own company Cactus TV.
She was also the brains behind TV Book Club, originally a feature on the Richard & Judy show, and later a programme in its own right. It was Amanda who chose the books to appear, thus turning at least 50 of them into instant bestsellers and boosting the publishing trade to the tune of over £200m. As a result, The Guardian once named her the most influential person in British publishing.