Terry Wogan

Michael Terence "Terry" Wogan, KBE (born 3 August 1938) is a popular radio and television broadcaster on the BBC in the United Kingdom. He was born in Limerick, Ireland and educated by the Salesians and the Jesuits at Crescent College. He is married and has three children.

Career

Early radio presenting

After completing his education he went to work in a bank for five years, before he joined Radio Telefís Éireann as a newsreader/announcer. For two years he did interviews and presenting documentary features before moving to the Light Entertainment department as a disc jockey and host of TV quiz and variety shows. He first worked for BBC Radio presenting Midday Spin in the mid-1960s and, on the inauguration of BBC Radio 1 he presented Late Night Extra for two years, commuting weekly from Dublin to London. Eventually he was offered a regular afternoon slot (3 p.m - 5 p.m.) - officially on Radio 1, but in actual fact - due to lack of funding - broadcast over both Radio 1 and Radio 2. In April 1972 he took over the breakfast show on Radio 2, effectively swapping places with John Dunn, who hosted the afternoon show briefly - by then Radio 1 and Radio 2 had diverged sufficiently to allow separate programming on each network. During Wogan's time on the breakfast show, he had achieved audiences of up to 7.6 million. Also during this period he released his own version of "The Floral Dance", by popular request from listeners who enjoyed hearing him singing over the instrumental hit by The Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band. In 1985 Wogan left his breakfast show to pursue a full-time career in television. During this time, he was replaced on radio ? initially, but briefly by Ken Bruce, followed by Brian Hayes and finally Derek Jameson.

Related Topics:
Radio Telefís Éireann - Disc jockey - Midday Spin - 1960s - BBC Radio 1 - Late Night Extra - Dublin - London - Radio 2 - April - 1972 - Breakfast show - John Dunn - Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band - Ken Bruce - Brian Hayes - Derek Jameson

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Moving to television

Wogan is particularly famed for his sardonic commentaries on the Eurovision Song Contest which he has done annually since 1980, although he occasionally did it in the 1970s. Also in 1980 he began presenting the BBC's Children in Need telethon and continues to front the yearly event.

Related Topics:
Eurovision Song Contest - 1980 - 1970s - Children in Need - Telethon

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In 1981 he had a chance to host a one-off chat show ? Saturday Live. Among his guest on this show were Larry Hagman ? then promoting his new film S.O.B. - and Frank Hall - who was then the Irish Film Censor. During the course of which Hall accused Wogan of selling out his Irishness - and responding to a question posed by Wogan about his suitablility as a film censor - said there was more filth on British Television than in film, citing the BBC TV serial The Borgias as an example.

Related Topics:
1981 - Larry Hagman - S.O.B. - Frank Hall - Serial - The Borgias

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Between 1985 and 1992 he hosted the Wogan television chat show thrice-weekly. Highlights of the show included interviews with a drunk George Best; a silent Chevy Chase; a nervous Anne Bancroft (who was so petrified she gave monosyllabic answers and counted to ten before descending the entrance steps to the studio); David Icke claiming to be the "son of the Godhead"; and Vivienne Westwood scolding the audience for laughing at her latest collection (although Sue Lawley was guest hosting the show on this last occasion). Other guests to appear on the show included Cliff Richard, Kenny Rogers and the boy band Bros.

Related Topics:
1985 - 1992 - Wogan - George Best - Chevy Chase - Anne Bancroft - David Icke - Vivienne Westwood - Sue Lawley - Cliff Richard - Kenny Rogers - Bros

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Other television programmes he has presented:

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• Come Dancing (ballroom dance show)
• Blankety Blank (game show)
• Auntie's Bloomers (outtakes show)
• Points of View (viewers' letters)
• Wogan's Web
• The Terry and Gaby Show (with Gaby Roslin)

Return to radio

By 1992, something of a backlash began against the seemingly omni-present Wogan. This was highlighted when a poll apparently revealed him to be simultaneously the most and the least popular person in Britain. He was released from his talk-show contract after much pushing by the BBC, and was mocked for some time after this. He returned to Radio 2 to take back the breakfast show, by then presented by Derek Jameson. As a result Jameson was moved to a late night show, which he co-hosted with his wife.

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In recent years Wogan's fortunes have improved. His BBC Radio 2 breakfast show is now the most popular on British radio. His tendency to go off on rambling, esoteric tangents seems to have become popular with younger listeners (however ironically) as well as the older fans.

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In 2005 it was reported that his Breakfast Show ("Wake Up To Wogan") attracted an audience of eight million. After he received a knighthood the same year (see below) the UK newspaper, The Daily Mirror, ran a front page reading "It's Sir Del and It's Sir Tel", this was in reference to Wogan (whose nickname is "Tel") and actor David Jason who's most famous for playing Derek "Del" Trotter in the classic sitcom, Only Fools And Horses.

Related Topics:
Newspaper - David Jason - Sitcom - Only Fools And Horses

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