Rustie Lee

Jeane Carole Lees (born 22 May 1949), known professionally as Rustie Lee, is a British-Jamaican television personality, television chef, actress and singer. She participated on the Channel 5 reality-television show Celebrity Super Spa in 2013; ITV's Who's Doing the Dishes?, hosted by Brian McFadden, in 2016; and Celebrity Coach Trip in 2020. Between 2015 and 2017 Rustie also appeared on children's BBC TV programme Twirlywoos.

Early life Rustie Lee was born Jeane Carole Lees in Portland, Jamaica on 22 May 1949. Aged 4, she and her parents later relocated to England, where she attended the girls' grammar school King Edward VI Handsworth School.

Broadcasting career Lee first came to public attention for her appearances during the 1980s on the morning television station TV-am. Following her initial successful period as a chef on TV-am in 1983, Lee took over from Sarah Kennedy on the second incarnation of the ITV gameshow Game for a Laugh.

In 2004, Lee appeared on Livings I'm Famous and Frightened! 2, a reality show featuring a number of celebrities staying in a castle over a weekend, taking part in various challenges and looking for paranormal activity, guided by a medium. Viewers voted for their favourite star, and the celebrities were voted off one by one. Lee won the series showing a keen interest in the tasks and occasional emotional involvement, giving detailed and varied accounts of how she felt at certain points.

In recent years, she has made occasional appearances on This Morning, The Alan Titchmarsh Show and Daily Cooks/Saturday Cooks. She has also made appearances on That Antony Cotton Show, The Wright Stuff, Loose Women, Would I Lie To You?, and Channel 5's Big Brother's Bit on the Side, a spin-off chat show for Big Brother. She also appeared on the Channel 5 reality show Celebrity Super Spa.

Politics In 2004, Lee joined the UK Independence Party (UKIP), On polling day, she came fifth, with 1,074 votes (2.3% of the total).

Lee stood for UKIP for the 2009 European Elections in the West Midlands constituency in June 2009, but was not elected.

General election contested

Date of election Constituency Party Votes % 2005 Wyre Forest UKIP 1,074 2.3

Other activities Lee has written several cookbooks, including Rustie Lee's Caribbean Cookbook (1985) and A Taste of the Caribbean (2007).

In 2008, Lee briefly joined the cast of EastEnders as Gus Smith's aunt Opal Smith. She also appeared briefly in Peter Kay's Britain's Got the Pop Factor... and Possibly a New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly on Ice. She appeared in the last episode of Benidorm Series 6 as Queenie. She also narrated children's stories for BBC Radio in Birmingham.

Lee has recorded as a singer. In 1985, she released the album Invitation to Party, including her cover versions of "Barbados" and "My Toot Toot". In 1994, she released a further single, "You'd Better Phone", paired with a B side cover of Don't Stop (Wiggle Wiggle) by The Outhere Brothers She also sang on a number of her appearances on Big Brother's Bit on the Side.

Lee has appeared in several pantomime productions including Jack and the Beanstalk, Aladdin, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Peter Pan among others. In 1988 she appeared in the musical Ain’t Misbehavin’ at the Library Theatre in Manchester alongside disco singer Miquel Brown.

Filmography