Few TV personalities from the 1990s have reinvented themselves as completely as Carol Smillie. The Scottish presenter, best known for hosting Wheel of Fortune and Changing Rooms, quietly trained as a humanist celebrant in 2018 and now conducts weddings and funerals in her native Glasgow.
Born: 23 December 1961 ·
Nationality: Scottish ·
Known for: Wheel of Fortune, Changing Rooms ·
Current occupation: Humanist Celebrant ·
Notable TV shows: Wheel of Fortune (1992–1997), Changing Rooms (1996–2004)
Quick snapshot
- Born 23 December 1961 in Glasgow, Scotland (Wikipedia)
- Presented Wheel of Fortune (1992–1997) and Changing Rooms (1996–2004) (Wikipedia) (Wikipedia)
- Qualified as a humanist celebrant with Humanist Society Scotland in 2018 (Life Death Whatever)
- Exact net worth not publicly disclosed
- Specific reason for leaving full-time TV not officially stated
- Details about marriage and family life are private
- Now conducts 50–60 weddings per year (according to Ayrshire Magazine)
- 1961: Born in Glasgow (Wikipedia)
- 1992–1997: Co-presents Wheel of Fortune (Wikipedia) (Wikipedia)
- 1996–2004: Presents Changing Rooms (Wikipedia) (Wikipedia)
- 2018: Trains as humanist celebrant (Life Death Whatever)
- 2024: Active celebrant in Glasgow (Ayrshire Magazine)
- Continues to focus on celebrant work; no public plans to return to television
- Potential expansion of services beyond Glasgow has not been indicated
Key facts about Carol Smillie’s background.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Carol Patricia Smillie |
| Born | 23 December 1961, Glasgow, Scotland |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Occupation | Former TV presenter, actress, model, humanist celebrant |
| Notable works | Wheel of Fortune (1992–1997), Changing Rooms (1996–2004) |
| Current residence | Glasgow, Scotland |
What has happened to Carol Smillie?
Career transition from TV to celebrant
After stepping away from regular television in the mid-2000s, Smillie took a sharp turn. In 2018, she qualified as a humanist celebrant through the Humanist Society Scotland – the non-religious body that authorises celebrants in Scotland. Her official website states she now conducts fully legal, non-religious weddings and funerals and covers only the Glasgow area (Carol Smillie official site).
Why she left television
In a 2024 interview with Ayrshire Magazine, Smillie explained that after the business she had been involved in folded, she “knew she had to do something else.” She said she was not going back into television and decided to investigate celebrant training instead. The move gave her control over her schedule – a freedom she has emphasised on social media.
Public appearances in the 2010s and 2020s
Smillie has made sporadic television appearances, including a role in the 2008 film Infamy (Wikipedia). In 2020, she appeared on the Australian show I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! (a brief stint), but her main public profile now is through her celebrant practice.
A woman who spent decades being chosen for TV roles now chooses her own diary – and says she prefers it that way. “I didn’t want to wait to be chosen anymore,” she told followers via Instagram in 2024.
The implication: her decision to leave television was driven by a desire for autonomy, not decline.
What is Carol Smillie doing now?
Humanist celebrant work in Glasgow
Smillie’s primary occupation is as a humanist celebrant. According to a 2024 profile in Ayrshire Magazine, she now officiates between 50 and 60 weddings each year, along with funerals and naming ceremonies. Her official celebrant page on the Humanist Society Scotland portal notes that the role “felt like a natural step after a long broadcasting career.”
Speaking engagements and media appearances
She remains available for corporate speaking and has been listed with agencies such as Champions Speakers, which describes her as “best known for presenting the likes of Wheel of Fortune and Changing Rooms.” She also makes occasional guest appearances on UK daytime television.
Social media presence
Smillie is active on Instagram (@carolsmillieofficial), where her bio reads: “Humanist Celebrant & professional smiler.” She regularly posts about ceremonies she has conducted and interacts with couples planning weddings in Glasgow.
For the hundreds of couples who book her each year, Smillie represents a familiar, trusted face in an otherwise formal setting. Her TV training – speaking to camera, reading autocues – translates directly into the skill of delivering a ceremony without notes.
The pattern: she transferred her broadcasting skills to a new, intimate context.
Is Carol Smillie a celebrant?
Training and certification
Yes. Smillie trained with Humanist Society Scotland and qualified in 2018. The Express reported at the time that she became “the first celebrity name in Britain to become a celebrant able to conduct humanist weddings, funerals and child-naming ceremonies” (Express, 2018). Her official website confirms she is a fully qualified Humanist Celebrant.
Types of ceremonies she conducts
She performs legal non-religious weddings, funeral ceremonies, and naming ceremonies (Life Death Whatever). Her Instagram feed shows a mix of intimate elopements and larger celebrations, all conducted under the legal authority of Humanist Society Scotland – which is recognised for marriage in Scotland.
Client reviews and recognition
While no formal review platform exists specifically for celebrants, Smillie’s Instagram comments and her profile on the Humanist Society Scotland portal indicate a steady stream of bookings. She operates under her married name, Carol Knight, for official purposes (Life Death Whatever).
Where does Carol Smillie live now?
Current residence in Glasgow
Smillie lives in Glasgow, the city where she was born on 23 December 1961 (Wikipedia). Her official celebrant page explicitly states she covers only the Glasgow area (Carol Smillie official site; Humanist Society Scotland).
Connection to Scottish roots
She has remained in the same region her entire life, and her work as a celebrant is deeply local. In her Instagram posts she often mentions walking distance to Glasgow wedding venues.
Past homes mentioned in interviews
During her television years, Smillie lived in the Glasgow area but specific addresses have never been public. She has not indicated any move away from Scotland.
What was Carol Smillie’s IQ?
No publicly available IQ score
No credible source – not Wikipedia, not biography, not interview – has ever reported Carol Smillie’s IQ. The question appears to originate from internet forums and trivia sites that sometimes attribute unverified numbers to public figures.
Origin of the question
It is common for fans to ask about the IQs of game show hosts, perhaps because of the perceived intellectual demands of shows like Wheel of Fortune. But Smillie has never taken a public IQ test, nor has any outlet published a score.
Why IQ is not a reliable measure of her achievements
Her career as a television presenter, actress, model and now humanist celebrant is a record of demonstrated skills – public speaking, scriptwriting, empathy, and organisation – none of which require an IQ number to validate.
Searching for a celebrity’s IQ often leads to speculative, unverified data. The absence of a number here is itself a fact: Smillie’s reputation rests on her body of work, not a lab score.
The catch: the absence of an IQ claim only reinforces that her achievements speak for themselves.
Timeline
Key milestones in Carol Smillie’s life.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 23 December 1961 | Born in Glasgow, Scotland |
| 1992–1997 | Co‑presents Wheel of Fortune, becoming a household name |
| 1996–2004 | Presents BBC’s Changing Rooms, a hit home‑makeover show |
| 2008 | Appears in the film Infamy |
| 2018 | Trains and qualifies as a humanist celebrant with Humanist Society Scotland |
| 2020–present | Active as a celebrant in Glasgow; maintains social media presence (Instagram) |
Quotes from Carol Smillie
“Humanist Celebrant & professional smiler.”
– Carol Smillie, Instagram bio (@carolsmillieofficial)
“Best known for presenting the likes of Wheel of Fortune and Changing Rooms.”
– Champions Speakers, describing her career highlights
Summary
Carol Smillie’s career shift from prime‑time television to humanist celebrant is not a retirement – it is a deliberate redesign. She now controls her own schedule, works within her home city, and uses the communication skills she built over three decades in broadcasting. For any 1990s TV fan wondering what happened to her, the answer is clear: she found a new way to perform, one ceremony at a time.
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After leaving television, Carol Smillie’s career as a celebrant offered a meaningful new direction, as detailed in Carol Smillie’s career as a celebrant.
Frequently asked questions
Does Carol Smillie have children?
Details about her family are private. She has not publicly confirmed the number or names of her children.
What is Carol Smillie’s height?
Her height is not officially recorded in any biographical source.
Is Carol Smillie active on social media?
Yes. She maintains an Instagram account (@carolsmillieofficial) where she promotes her celebrant services and shares personal updates.
How can I book Carol Smillie as a celebrant?
You can reach her through her official website (carolsmillie.tv) or via the Humanist Society Scotland portal.
Did Carol Smillie appear on any other shows besides Wheel of Fortune and Changing Rooms?
Yes. She made guest appearances on Sooty, Infamy (film), and briefly on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! in 2020 (Wikipedia).
What awards has Carol Smillie won?
She has not won any major individual awards, though Changing Rooms was nominated for BAFTA awards during its run.
Is Carol Smillie still married to her husband?
Smillie is married to Alex Knight and the couple have been together for many years. Specific details about their marriage are not publicly discussed.
Related reading: See also our features on Alex Armstrong and Phillip Schofield, two other UK TV personalities who have navigated career transitions.
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Henry Morgan is Senior Reporter at Media Grid UK, covering breaking stories and community-sourced tips across the UK.