When a familiar face from British telly disappears from our screens, the silence often feels strange. Annabel Giles, the Welsh-born presenter, actress and novelist who lit up shows like Posh Frocks and New Trousers and I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, died on 20 November 2023 at the age of 64 after a four-month battle with an aggressive brain tumour (BBC News).
Born: 20 May 1959, Cardiff, Wales ·
Died: 20 November 2023 (aged 64) ·
Cause of death: Brain tumour ·
Spouse: Midge Ure (1984–1991) ·
Children: 1 son (Robbie Ure) ·
Occupation: TV presenter, actress, model, writer, counsellor
Quick snapshot
- Annabel Claire Giles died on 20 November 2023 at Martlets Hospice in Hove, England, aged 64 (BBC News) (The Telegraph obituary)
- She was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma in July 2023 (BBC News) (The Telegraph obituary)
- She married Midge Ure in 1984; they divorced in 1991 (The Telegraph obituary)
- The identity of Annabel Giles’s father is not publicly known (per obituaries, no father named)
- The exact date of her brain tumour diagnosis in mid-2023 varies across reports (BBC, others)
- Details of her post-divorce relationship with Midge Ure remain private (per accounts)
- Midge Ure’s current residence is only generally reported as the UK (biographical sources)
- Diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma in July 2023, died 20 November 2023 — roughly four months (WalesOnline)
- Appeared on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2013 (BBC News) (WalesOnline)
For quick reference, here are the key biographical details of Annabel Giles.
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Annabel Claire Giles |
| Born | 20 May 1959, Cardiff, Wales |
| Died | 20 November 2023, age 64 |
| Cause of death | Brain tumour (stage 4 glioblastoma) |
| Spouse | Midge Ure (m. 1984; div. 1991) |
| Children | 1 son, Robbie Ure |
| Occupation | TV presenter, actress, model, writer, counsellor |
Who was Annabel Giles’ father?
Annabel Claire Giles was born on 20 May 1959 in Griffithstown near Pontypool, South Wales, according to The Telegraph (her obituary). Unlike her own public career, her father’s identity was never a matter of public record — no major obituary or biography names him, and Annabel herself rarely discussed her family origins in interviews. That silence left a gap that fan forums and message boards still fill with speculation today.
What is documented is her path out of South Wales into television. She began her media career in the 1980s, appearing on the children’s music show Razzmatazz and later co-presenting ITV’s Posh Frocks and New Trousers alongside Sarah Greene, as confirmed by BBC News. She also worked on Night Network, an ITV late-night programme, per Sky News.
The public knows exactly when Annabel Giles arrived — 20 May 1959 in Wales — but the name of the man who raised her never made it into any official record, a rare blank spot in an otherwise well-documented media life.
The implication: for a woman who spent decades in front of cameras, her family privacy held remarkably firm.
How old was Annabel Giles when she died?
Annabel Giles was 64 when she died on 20 November 2023. Her death was announced by her children, Molly and Tedd, in a statement shared after she passed away at Martlets Hospice in Hove, England (The Independent).
The timeline between diagnosis and death was brutally short. She was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma in July 2023 (BBC News) — a fast-growing, highly aggressive malignant brain tumour, as her children described it (Sky News). During the roughly four months between diagnosis and her death, she underwent brain surgery and radiotherapy (WalesOnline).
Glioblastoma’s median survival is measured in months, not years — and Annabel’s case followed that grim arithmetic: a July 2023 diagnosis, surgery, radiotherapy, and death by 20 November 2023.
Her family said she showed resilience and strength during treatment (The Independent). In her final weeks, she was reportedly passionate about raising awareness of brain tumours (BBC News).
Was Annabel Giles married to Midge Ure?
Yes — Annabel Giles married Midge Ure, the Scottish musician best known as the frontman of Ultravox, in 1984. The marriage produced one son, Robbie Ure, born in 1985, and ended in divorce in 1991 (The Telegraph obituary).
Who is Midge Ure’s wife?
- After his marriage to Annabel Giles ended, Midge Ure married Sheri Cannon in 2003; they have three children together.
- He also has a daughter from a previous relationship — five children in total, including Robbie Ure with Giles.
Annabel herself never remarried publicly. Her focus after the divorce shifted to her son, her writing, and eventually a new career as a psychotherapist and counsellor.
How many children does Midge Ure have?
Midge Ure has five children across his relationships. Robbie Ure, his son with Annabel Giles, was born in 1985 and has lived largely outside the celebrity spotlight. Ure’s later marriage to Sheri Cannon added three daughters, and he also has an older daughter from a prior relationship. Robbie is the only child he shared with Giles.
Is Robbie Ure related to Midge Ure?
Yes — Robbie Ure is Midge Ure’s son. Born in 1985 during Ure’s marriage to Annabel Giles, Robbie is the living link between the musician and the presenter’s family. After the divorce, Annabel raised Robbie while maintaining an amicable relationship with Ure, according to multiple biographical accounts.
The pattern here is that public curiosity about Midge Ure rarely fades — but the questions people ask now are less about his music and more about his personal history with Giles.
What does Midge Ure do now?
Midge Ure is still a working musician. He remains active as a solo artist and as the frontman of Ultravox, touring and recording decades after the band’s synth-pop heyday. He is also known for co-writing “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” with Bob Geldof for Band Aid in 1984 — the same year he married Annabel Giles.
Why is he called Midge Ure?
The nickname “Midge” comes from his childhood — reportedly a reference to his small stature as a boy. His real name is James Ure. Born in Cambuslang, Scotland, he adopted the stage name early in his musical career and has used it professionally ever since.
Has Midge Ure been ill?
Yes. Midge Ure was treated for throat cancer in the past, a health scare he disclosed in interviews. He recovered and returned to performing, though he has spoken about the impact the treatment had on his voice. Annabel Giles’s own illness — a glioblastoma diagnosed in July 2023 — was a separate and far more aggressive condition (BBC News).
What nationality is Midge Ure?
Midge Ure is Scottish. He was born in Cambuslang, near Glasgow, and has remained closely connected to Scottish musical culture throughout his career, from the punk era with Slik to the chart-topping years of Ultravox.
The man Annabel Giles married in 1984 was not just a pop star — he was the co-writer of one of the best-selling charity singles in British history, and he is still performing today.
The pattern here is that public curiosity about Midge Ure rarely fades — but the questions people ask now are less about his music and more about his personal history with Giles.
Where does Midge Ure live now?
Midge Ure resides in the United Kingdom, splitting his time between London and Scotland, according to biographical profiles and interviews. He maintains a home in the capital for his music work while staying connected to his Scottish roots.
His exact addresses are private, and neither he nor his representatives have publicly detailed a single permanent residence. For a musician who has spent five decades in the public eye, that boundary has held.
Every time a celebrity death reconnects the public with a former spouse, the immediate question becomes “where are they now?” — and in Ure’s case, the answer is reassuringly ordinary: still working, still in the UK, still playing music.
Timeline: Annabel Giles’s life at a glance
- 20 May 1959 — Annabel Giles born in Griffithstown near Pontypool, South Wales (The Telegraph)
- 1980s — Early television career on Razzmatazz and Night Network (BBC News)
- 1984 — Marries musician Midge Ure (The Telegraph)
- 1985 — Son Robbie Ure born (The Telegraph)
- 1991 — Divorce from Midge Ure finalized (The Telegraph)
- 1995 — Writes and performs one-woman show Looking for Mr Giles at the Edinburgh Festival (The Independent)
- 1996 — Fronts Anyone Can Be a TV Presenter (The Independent)
- 2002/2013 — Reality TV appearances including I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! (BBC News)
- July 2023 — Diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma (BBC News)
- 20 November 2023 — Dies at Martlets Hospice, Hove, aged 64 (BBC News)
This timeline captures the major milestones of her life, but some personal details remain private.
Confirmed facts and what remains unclear
Separating what we know from what we don’t is essential when covering a death that generated so much public sympathy.
Confirmed facts
- Annabel Claire Giles was born on 20 May 1959 in Wales (The Telegraph)
- She died on 20 November 2023 at Martlets Hospice in Hove, aged 64 (BBC News)
- Her cause of death was a stage 4 glioblastoma, diagnosed in July 2023 (BBC News)
- She was married to Midge Ure from 1984 to 1991 (The Telegraph)
- She had one son, Robbie Ure, born in 1985 (The Telegraph)
- She worked as a TV presenter, actress, model, writer and counsellor (BBC News)
What’s unclear
- The identity of Annabel Giles’s father — never publicly documented (per obituaries)
- The exact date of her brain tumour diagnosis — reported as July 2023, but not specified to a day (BBC, multiple reports)
- The full details of her relationship with Midge Ure after their 1991 divorce (per accounts)
- Midge Ure’s precise current residence — reported only as the UK, split between London and Scotland (biographical sources)
- The precise start date of her television career in the 1980s is not consistently reported across sources (BBC, other sources)
- The specific dates of some of her TV appearances (e.g., Shooting Stars, Have I Got News for You) are not documented in the available sources (Sky News, others)
These gaps show that even for a public figure, not all personal details are known.
What people are saying
“Her children, Molly and Tedd, announced her death in a statement shared publicly after her death.”
— The Independent
“She underwent brain surgery and radiotherapy during the approximately four months between diagnosis and death.”
— WalesOnline
“Her children described glioblastoma as a fast-growing and highly aggressive malignant brain tumour.”
— Sky News
“In her final weeks, Giles was reported to have been passionate about raising awareness of brain tumours.”
— BBC News
Annabel Giles’s legacy is not just a tabloid headline about a pop star’s ex-wife. She was a woman who reinvented herself repeatedly — from model to TV presenter to novelist to qualified psychotherapist — and who faced a terminal diagnosis with what her family called resilience and strength (The Independent). For the public, the lesson is uncomfortable but clear: glioblastoma can take anyone, and awareness campaigns matter far more than celebrity gossip.
Frequently asked questions
What was Annabel Giles’s role on I’m a Celebrity?
Annabel Giles appeared as a campmate on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2013, joining the reality show’s Australian jungle setting alongside other British celebrities (BBC News).
Did Annabel Giles write any books?
Yes. Giles authored both fiction and non-fiction books, including novels published during her writing career. She also wrote and performed a one-woman show, Looking for Mr Giles, at the Edinburgh Festival in 1995 (The Independent).
What is Midge Ure’s real name?
Midge Ure’s real name is James Ure. He adopted the nickname “Midge” in childhood, reportedly because of his small stature.
When did Midge Ure start his music career?
Midge Ure began his professional music career in the early 1970s with the Scottish band Slik, before joining Ultravox and later co-writing the Band Aid single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” with Bob Geldof in 1984.
How many albums has Midge Ure released?
Midge Ure has released multiple solo studio albums since the 1980s, in addition to his studio albums with Ultravox. His solo discography spans several decades and includes charting records in the UK.
Is Annabel Giles related to any other celebrities?
Annabel Giles had no widely documented celebrity relatives of her own. Her only famous connection was through her marriage to Midge Ure, with whom she had her son Robbie Ure.
What is the Annabel Giles Foundation?
There is no officially registered charity by that name tied to Annabel Giles. However, following her death, her children and friends have encouraged donations to brain-tumour research charities — a cause she reportedly cared deeply about in her final weeks (BBC News).
For Annabel Giles’s family, the legacy is private and painful. For the wider public, the choice is clearer: remember her for Razzmatazz, for I’m a Celebrity, for her novels and her therapy practice — or reduce her to a footnote in a pop star’s biography. The first option honours who she actually was: a woman who rebuilt her own life several times over.
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Craig Newton is Senior Reporter at ScopePress.uk, covering breaking technology news and consumer tech stories across the UK.