While there have been many people on television countless times, there is one individual who stands above all others when it comes to the sheer amount of time spent on screen. But despite this extraordinary record, most people won't even recognize her name.

Over the years, television has transformed dramatically, from its humble beginnings with limited programming to the vast array of channels, streaming services, and 24-hour broadcasts that we enjoy today. But in the early days of TV, there were periods when there was literally nothing to watch. Instead of the endless scrolling through channels we experience now, viewers would sometimes see nothing on their screens but the famous test card, a visual signal of downtime on the BBC network.

This brings us to the curious case of Test Card Girl, the person who holds the record for the most time spent on television. The answer to this unusual question was revealed on an episode of QI, where they posed the query: "Who has spent more time on television than anyone else in the world?" The correct answer was Test Card Girl, whose real name is Carole Hersee.

Between 1967 and 1998, Carole was featured on millions of TV screens every day, often for hours at a time, in a test card that was shown when the BBC wasn't broadcasting regular programs. The test card, known as "Test Card F," was designed by Carole’s father, George Hersee, a BBC engineer. He was photographing his children for test purposes, and Carole’s image became one of the most iconic and enduring symbols in British television history.

She still appears on TV screens a lot today (Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images)

Carole was chosen for the role over her younger sister, Gillian, because at the time, Gillian was missing two front teeth. The clown doll seen alongside Carole in the test card was actually Carole's own toy, which she named "Bubbles." Bubbles later made a quirky return in the BBC's error message page, though this time without Carole, with the clown standing in front of a chalkboard amid a firestorm.

The purpose of Test Card F wasn’t just to occupy the screen but to ensure that TVs were properly calibrated, particularly in terms of colour. For a generation of Brits, Carole’s face became as much a part of TV culture as the shows themselves. Her image even made an appearance in the TV series Life on Mars, where it was used to haunt the main character, a detective transported back to the 1970s.

While Test Card F is no longer a frequent sight on British television, it occasionally pops up. It made an appearance during the 2019 Champions League final on one of the big stadium screens, and it was still used until 2022, when BBC Three relaunched as a TV channel.

Carole Hersee is the famous test card girl (Ian Tyas/Keystone/Getty Images)

In 2007, Carole shared her story with The Telegraph, revealing that she still had Bubbles the Clown tucked away safely in a box. She confessed that, at times, she grew a bit "fed up" with being on screen constantly, especially when the only thing shown on TVs in shop windows was her image. She was paid £100 for the photo, and it was estimated that she spent a staggering 70,000 hours on TV—equivalent to almost eight years of continuous air time.

Despite the fame her image garnered, Carole remains a largely unsung figure, with most people unaware of her record. Nonetheless, her face on Test Card F will forever be a part of TV history. (BBC)