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Jodie Kidd (born 25 September 1978 in Canterbury, England) is an English fashion model, sports woman, television personality and sometime actress.
Kidd began modeling at 16 after she was discovered by Terry O'Neil at a party and soon caused an uproar. Her slender figure led to accusations that she was encouraging teenage girls to become anorexic in an effort to mimic her looks. Kidd has admitted to being “a bag of bones� in her early modeling career but has strongly denied that she was anorexic, blaming her physique on a bout of glandular fever[citation needed]. During an eight month break in modeling Kidd added weight to her tall frame, transforming into a healthy size eight.
Kidd's magazine covers include Elle in America, Portugal, Italy, Singapore and Sweden, British Vogue, The Face and Tatler. She has appeared in Advertisements for Chanel, Chloe Innocence perfume, Ghost, Motorola and Yves Saint Lauren and walked for Jasper Conran, Julien McDonald, Matthew Williamson, Valentino, Alexander McQueen, Givenchy, Gucci, Bella Freud, Betsey Johnson, Carolina Herrera, Karl Lagerfeld, John Galliano, Moschino, Chanel and Comme des Garcons amongst many others.
In 1997, Kidd played the Lady of the lake in Prince Valiant and in 1999, she took on a minor role in the British film Mad Cows.
In April 2000, Kidd's attempts to land a lead role in the film Mission Impossible 2 were dashed as film producers considered her 6'1" (185cm) stature to be too tall. Kidd is quoted as saying:
"Everyone has told me I would look completely ridiculous starring alongside Tom Cruise [at 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm)] because of my height. I have always dreamt of being an actress but agents have told me no one would cast me for a lead role because I am too tall."[cite this quote]
Off the catwalk, Kidd's hobbies include motor car racing (she held the fastest celebrity lap in Top Gear car show for some time), golf, polo playing and horse riding. She has also taken part in several rallies of the Gumball 3000.
In 2003, Jodie Kidd brought hope to cancer patients nationwide when she launched the Marie Curie Daffodil Campaign, supported by Yellow Pages.
In 2004, Kidd presented the reality television show The Ultimate Playboy for Sky One, was selected for the Maserati racing team and co-founded Pret-a-Polo, a venture to marry-up polo, fashion and partying. Kidd and co-founder Tarquin Southwell (her boyfriend at the time) had a very successful launch party, promoted by XPD Ltd and others, but not much has been heard about the venture since the couple split in 2005.
From 2004 to 2005, Kidd was the face of the high-street chain Monsoon.
Her interest in motor racing took a more substantive turn in December 2005, when with co-driver Fabio Babini she took second place in the Trofeo Maserati race at the Bologna Motorshow.
In recent years Kidd has been seen as an occasional guest and reporter on GMTV and This Morning and as the host of two series of Jodie Kidd's Fashion Avenue for Discovery.
In early 2006, Kidd launched the new online DVLA car tax service.
In 2006, Kidd presented The Ultimate Bikini Guide for Channel 4 with her sister Jemma Kidd.
Kidd has most recently been seen in a high profile commercial for the re-launched Marks and Spencer credit card and will shortly launch her own range of branded Golf Shoes.
Kidd is co-presenting the 2007 Red Bull Air Race World Series for Channel 4 in the UK with James Cracknell. She has also been seen in 2006 and 2207 as part of the B.B.C.'s Royal Ascot presenting team, memorably in a double act with ex-jockey 4ft 11in Willie Carson.
Her father is British businessman John Edward Aitken Kidd, himself grandson maternally of the first Lord Beaverbrook.
Her paternal grandmother, the Hon. Janet Gladys Aitken (1908-1988) married first in 1927 (as his first wife) the future 11th Duke of Argyll (grandfather of the present Duke by a later marriage), and third in 1942 Jodie's grandfather, Major Thomas Dealtry Kidd. Her mother Wendy Madeleine Kidd (née Hodge) is a baronet's daughter.
Jodie's elder sister, Jemma Kidd (b. 1974), is the wife, since June 2005, of Arthur Gerald Wellesley, Earl of Mornington, grandson of the Duke of Wellington; she also has a brother Jack (b. 1973) who is married and has several children.
After a year-long romance and engagement, Jodie married internet entrepreneur Aidan Butler on 10 September 2005, at St. Peter's Church, Twineham, West Sussex, but the couple split after just 18 months of marriage. “Aidan and I are splitting up," she revealed in an official statement on 23rd April 2007. "We are obviously both very upset and would ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time."
