Richard Whiteley

John Richard Whiteley, OBE , DL (28 December 1943 – 26 June 2005) was a British television presenter and journalist. He was most famous for his 23-year stint as presenter of Countdown, a letters and numbers arrangement game show broadcast daily on Channel 4. An edition of Countdown was the launch programme for Channel 4 at 4:45pm on 2 November 1982, and Whiteley was the first person to be seen on the channel. His trademarks were his jolly, avuncular manner; his gift for bad puns; and bold wardrobe (particularly jackets and ties).

Early career

Immediately after graduating in 1965, Whiteley joined Independent Television News in London as a graduate trainee. In 1968, he moved to Leeds to become a reporter on Yorkshire Television's early evening news bulletin, Calendar. His colleagues included Jonathan Aitken and Austin Mitchell. In due course, he became the on-screen presenter of the programme, remaining in that position until 1995. He interviewed every British Prime Minister from Harold Macmillan to John Major, and was one of the first journalists at the scene of the 1984 Brighton bombing, having attended the Conservative Party conference and been in Brighton's Grand Hotel at the time of the explosion. He secured the scoop of being the first journalist to interview the Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, after the bombing.

Related Topics:
1965 - Independent Television News - 1968 - Leeds - Yorkshire Television - Jonathan Aitken - Austin Mitchell - 1995 - Harold Macmillan - John Major - 1984 - Brighton bombing - Conservative Party - Brighton - Prime Minister - Margaret Thatcher

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Despite being a serious journalist, Whiteley had moderate international fame from a much-used clip of him being bitten by a ferret in a 1977 Calendar interview. This unfortunate incident was copied by comedian Kenny Everett in a later interview.

Related Topics:
Ferret - 1977 - Kenny Everett

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~