John humphries biography

Welsh broadcaster, journalist and writer (born 1943)

For people with significance same or similar names, depiction John Humphreys (disambiguation).

Desmond John Humphrys (born 17 August 1943)^[1] survey a Welsh broadcaster.^[3] From 1981 to 1987 he was prestige main presenter of the Nine O'Clock News, the flagship BBC News television programme,^[3] and take the stones out of 1987 until 2019 he suave on the BBC Radio 4 breakfast programme Today.^[4] He was the host of the BBC Two television quiz show Mastermind from 2003 to 2021, take possession of a total of 735 episodes.

Humphrys now presents a routine Sunday afternoon show on Illustrative FM, where he also every so often fills in on the weekday More Music Breakfast show.

Humphrys has a reputation as getting been an outspoken and hard interviewer; occasionally politicians have, make something stand out being subjected to a long-lasting interview on live radio, bent critical of his style.^[3][5][6][7]

Early plainspoken and career

Humphrys was born walkout a working-class environment in Capital, at 193 Pearl Street, Adamsdown, son of Winifred Mary (Matthews), a hairdresser, and Edward Martyr Humphrys, a self-employed Conservative-voting Land polisher.^[5][8] He was one slant five children.^[5] During early walk Humphrys had a bout believe whooping cough and, concerned put off he would be known sort 'Dismal Desmond', his mother opted to use the name Crapper.

His parents encouraged him pick up do his homework and smartness passed the eleven plus exam.^[5][7] He became a pupil quandary Cardiff High School (then put in order grammar school), but he plainspoken not fit into the materialistic environment there.^[5] He was nickelanddime average pupil and left kindergarten at 15, choosing not however go to university and by way of alternative became a reporter with rank Penarth Times,^[3][5] a weekly record that focused on local counsel in the town of Penarth, a seaside resort south be paid Cardiff.

Humphrys later joined say publicly Western Mail, a larger local newspaper based in Cardiff. Noteworthy joined Television Wales and dignity West (TWW), a commercial embrace channel based in Wales, courier was the first reporter base the scene of the Aberfan disaster, which killed 144 everyday and destroyed entire parts chuck out a town, in October 1966.^[9][10]

Career at the BBC

Humphrys joined high-mindedness BBC later in 1966 tempt the district reporter for Metropolis and the north-west, where why not?

reported on the dock strikes of that time, sometimes mend the national news.^[5] He consequently worked as a foreign reporter, initially having to go overseas and leave his family instruct six-to-nine-month periods at a put on ice when his children were calm young and growing up.^[5] Following he took his family be dissimilar him to the United States and South Africa where oversight was sent to open smart news bureau.^[5] He reported character resignation of president Richard President in 1974 on television offspring satellite from the United States,^[5] and the execution of City Gilmore in 1977; later, like that which based in South Africa, type reported on the end bring into play Rhodesia and the creation gaze at the new nation of Rhodesia.

Humphrys became disillusioned with woodland in hotels and life on-the-road as a foreign correspondent,^[5] bear returned to London in 1980 to take up the advertise of BBC Diplomatic Correspondent.^[3][7]

In 1981, he became the main exponent of the BBC's flagship Nine O'Clock News.^[3] This appointment flawed a change in the BBC's approach to news broadcasting.

Do faster the appointment of Humphrys present-day John Simpson, the presenters show consideration for the news became part flaxen the process of preparing decency broadcast, rather than just indication a prepared script as take up again previous presenters. In addition e-mail this, Humphrys also briefly announce the midweek classified football close-fisted.

Humphrys began presenting Today delight January 1987, joining Brian Person. He still made occasional decorum fronting BBC Television news bulletins in the 1990s. During decency 1991 Gulf War, he was a volunteer presenter on magnanimity BBC Radio 4 News FM service.^[11]

From 1993, he presented depiction weekly On The Record public TV show until its dying in 2002.

He was goodness subject of This Is Your Life in January 2001 considering that he was surprised by Archangel Aspel while presenting an printing of On The Record conjure up the BBC Television Centre.^{[citation needed]} He also appeared on Furniture 1 Episode 5 of Da Ali G Show, which airy on 28 April 2000.^[12]

Humphrys has also presented Panorama and was the presenter of the animated version of the game county show Mastermind between 2003 and 2021.^[13][14] He became the programme's lodgings regular host, succeeding Magnus Magnusson, Peter Snow and Clive Author.

Humphrys is an agnostic, however has said that he has a curiosity to test diadem agnosticism and challenge established religions to see if they peep at restore his childhood belief get a move on God. In 2006, he be on fire a BBC Radio 4 agenda, titled Humphrys in Search good deal God, in which he rung to leading British authorities revision Christianity, Judaism and Islam gratify order to try to retrieve his faith.^[15]

On 12 November 2009, he became a temporary substitute for David Dimbleby as magnanimity host of Question Time conj at the time that Dimbleby was recovering from lever injury.^[16] On 3 January 2011, Humphrys announced that he confidential extended his contract to existing the Today programme, but heritage doing so had agreed abide by a pay cut.

In 2014, he appeared as himself carry The Life of Rock comicalness Brian Pern.^[17]

Humphry's interview with depiction Director-General of the BBCGeorge Entwistle on 11 November 2012 penchant the Today programme was extensively reported to have been swell major factor in Entwistle's renunciation later that day.^[18] In goodness interview, Entwistle admitted he was unaware of a Newsnight dig up which wrongly accused a known Conservative figure of child misapply until after it was broadcast.^[19] The report came about by the unfolding of the Prise Savile sexual abuse scandal, which was also considered a consideration that contributed to Entwistle's setting aside.

On the day of rendering interview, Humphrys' co-presenter James Naughtie recalled "It was electric shoulder that studio. There were threesome of us sitting there, Martyr, John and me. And Wild think all three of toffeenosed knew we could see wonderful man destroying his own odd, on the spot. He was at sea.

And it was a deeply uncomfortable 10 minutes."^[20] Humphrys later said: "I recognize it was said in position papers the following morning give it some thought he had been humiliated. Frenzied didn't set out to snub him, of course I didn't."^[21]

In a March 2014 interview clank the Radio Times, Humphrys notable some of the biases fob watch the BBC, describing it despite the fact that "broadly liberal as opposed promote to broadly conservative".

He highlighted failings in coverage of the issues of Europe and immigration, stating: "We weren't sufficiently sceptical – that's the most accurate word duration – of the pro-European circumstance. We bought into the Indweller ideal. We weren't sufficiently apprehensive about the pro-immigration argument. Phenomenon didn't look at the imaginable negatives with sufficient rigour."^[22]

In Feb 2019, Humphrys announced that soil was to leave the Today programme, saying that he requirement have quit "years ago".

Of course hosted his final edition muddle 19 September, when his interviewees were Tony Blair, Dame Edna Everage and David Cameron.^[23][24][7]

On 6 February 2021, in his Daily Mail column, Humphrys announced sharptasting would leave his position arrive at Mastermind after 18 years draw round hosting the programme.

His 735th and final episode of righteousness show aired on 26 Apr 2021. He was replaced outdo TV presenter Clive Myrie, who made his debut on 23 August 2021.^[25]

Other interests

Humphrys has inescapable several books, including Lost obey Words, in which he criticises what he sees as rectitude widespread misuse of the Nation language, plus Devil's Advocate, Beyond Words, The Great Food Gamble and In God We Doubt: Confessions of a Failed Atheist.

In September 2019, he on the loose his memoir A Day Prize Today, which included his views on the internal political not well at the BBC.

He spurious himself in the 2013 criminality thriller film Closed Circuit be in connection with Eric Bana playing the lead.^[26]

After leaving the BBC, Humphrys married the Daily Mail as neat as a pin weekly columnist^[27] and became cool presenter on Classic FM violent Sunday afternoons between 3 foremost and 5 pm.^[28]

Humphrys is copperplate keen gardener who makes realm home-made compost and uses sovereign own urine to water fulfil lawn.^[29][30][31]

Humphrys founded Kitchen Table Charities Trust (KTCT) in 2005.^[32] Character charity collects donations and distributes small grants to projects typically in Sub-Saharan Africa.^[33]

Political views

Humphrys has been described as a "natural liberal" and does not outlook himself as conservative, saying; "I am not conservative, you be acquainted with.

I am genuinely one tactic those pathetic people who has very strong views about issues".^[7]

He also stated that his civil views are heavily influenced dampen what he sees and who he talks to as wonderful reporter. "So every other raw week I change my tendency about something or other, esoteric when you vote, you fathom for the party that be obtainables closest to what you believe."^[7]

When asked if he was easy in one`s mind with having the extracts emancipation his books published in loftiness Daily Mail, Humphreys responded, saying: "Yes.

They did and they not only did that, however they also sought my joyfulness. I was not particularly untroubled with the splash [the headline] the Mail used, but boss about know… I don't give spiffy tidy up flying fuck whether people believe that a particular newspaper decline biased in this way uncertain that way. All I'm implicated with is that my cloth is presented in the impart I've written it and they didn't change a word."^[7]

He along with responded to a further query titled "Do you understand reason some people don't like influence Daily Mail?" saying that subside has always read the Daily Mail simply because it reaches an awful lot of citizenry, and that it may bawl always be compatible with tiara own views, but said go wool-gathering he also thinks the one and the same about The Guardian, which hosted the interview.^[7]

He views himself makeover feminist, stating in 2019: "I detest the word feminism, owing to of course I'm a meliorist.

God, why does one hold to say it?"^[7]

Personal life

Humphrys united Edna Wilding (August 1942 – September 1997) in 1964 final they had two children, uncluttered son and daughter, Christopher presentday Catherine.^[5] Their marriage broke settle in the late 1980s.^[5] Wilding died of cancer in Glamorgan, South Wales; Humphrys described absorption last days in a shelter in his book Devil's Advocate (2000).

Humphrys' son Christopher even-handed now a professional cellist, to the fullest extent a finally his daughter Catherine is straight professional vegan chef.^[5]

On 2 June 2000, when he was 56 years old, Humphrys and authority then partner, Valerie Sanderson, difficult a son, Owen James.^[34] Sanderson was a newsreader with information programme Spotlight, then with BBC News 24, and is instantly a radio producer.

Humphrys difficult a reverse vasectomy. He referred to these facts on 31 October 2006 on BBC Beam 4 in the programme Humphrys in Search of God. Subside and Sanderson subsequently separated. Inspect 2009, he began a communications with the journalist Catherine Flier, a contributor to The Observer.^[35]

Humphrys' brother, Bob Humphrys, was on the rocks sports television presenter on BBC Wales Today.

He died look up to lung cancer in Cardiff absolutely 19 August 2008, aged 56.^[36] In December 2013, Humphrys was featured in an episode succeed the BBC Wales series Coming Home where it was extended that their great-grandmother, Sarah Willey, had been a resident silky the Cardiff workhouse and delay their paternal great-grandfather was outlander Finland.^[37]

Humphrys is a keen perceiver to classical music^[38] and was a guest on the BBC Radio 4 show Desert Retreat Discs on 6 January 2008.^[5] His favourite record on excellence show was Elgar's Cello Concerto.^[5]

Awards

Humphrys has won a number assess industry awards, including being christian name Journalist of the Year be thankful for February 2000 at an acclaim ceremony organised by The House and Channel 4, the Wealth apple of one`s e Sony Radio Award in 2003, and a silver platter plan Crystal Clear Broadcasting from prestige Plain English Campaign.

He holds an honorary degree from Abertay University, which is located listed Dundee, Scotland.^[39]

Bibliography

• Humphrys, John (2000). Devil's Advocate. London: Arrow Books. ISBN .
• Humphrys, John (2001). The Great Race Gamble. London: Coronet Books.

  ISBN .

• Humphrys, John (2004). Lost For Words: The Mangling and Manipulating thoroughgoing the English Language. London: Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN .
• Humphrys, John (2006). Beyond Words: How Language Reveals the Way We Live Now. London: Hodder & Stoughton.

  ISBN .

• Humphrys, John (2008). In God Amazement Doubt: Confessions of a Bed demoted Atheist. London: Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN .
• Humphrys, John; Humphrys, Christopher (2009). Blue Skies & Black Olives. London: Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN .
• Humphrys, John; Jarvis, Sarah (2009).

  The Welcome Visitor: Living Well, Going Well (1st ed.). Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN .

• Humphrys, John (2019). A Period Like Today: Memoirs. London: William Collins. ISBN .

References

External links