Clarissa Dickson Wright was a renowned English celebrity chef, television personality, businesswoman, and former barrister. She was best known for being one half of the incredibly popular television series, Two Fat Ladies, alongside Jennifer Paterson.
Born into a family of intellectuals, Clarissa was sent to Sacred Heart School at the age of 11, where she began her academic journey. She later studied for the Bar at Gray's Inn, while pursuing a law degree at University College London.
After completing her studies, Clarissa practiced successfully as a barrister for several years. However, she discovered her true calling in the world of cookery when she worked at Books for Cooks in London's Notting Hill while recovering from 12 years of alcohol abuse.
During her time in Edinburgh, television producer Patricia Llewellyn approached her and Jennifer Paterson with an offer to make a television program. They created a pilot in autumn 1994, which was later commissioned by BBC2 as a series of Two Fat Ladies. The show was a massive success, with three series being made and shown around the world. Unfortunately, Jennifer Paterson passed away mid-way through the fourth series, and Clarissa refused to continue making the show without her co-star.
Clarissa also appeared in other television shows, including Clarissa and the Countryman, where she starred alongside Johnny Scott from 2000 to 2003, and Absolutely Fabulous, where she played the gamekeeper in 2003. In 2005, she took part in the BBC reality television show Art School.
Throughout her career, Clarissa was an advocate for the Countryside Alliance and was the first female Rector of the University of Aberdeen. Her autobiography, Spilling The Beans, was published in September 2007.
In 2008, she presented a one-off documentary for BBC Four, Clarissa and the King's Cookbook, where she created recipes from a cookbook dating back to the reign of Richard II.
In addition to her television career, Clarissa ran her own catering business, worked on a yacht in the Caribbean, and served 60 meals a day at her London luncheon club. She was also one of only two women in England to become a guild butcher. She was represented in the UK by Useful Talent, specialists in celebrity-led endorsements.
