Alan Whicker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alan Whicker
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| Born | Alan Donald Whicker 2 August 1921 (school records) Cairo, Egypt |
| Died | 12 July 2013 (aged 91) Trinity, Jersey, Channel Islands |
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| Nationality | British |
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Alan Donald Whicker (born August 2, 1921 – died July 12, 2013) was a famous British journalist and TV presenter. He was known for his amazing career that lasted almost 60 years. For over 30 of those years, he hosted a popular TV show called Whicker's World. In 2005, he received a special award, the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), for his great work in television.
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Early Life and War Service
Alan Whicker was born in Cairo, Egypt, in 1921. His parents were British. When he was three, his family moved to Richmond in Surrey, England. He stayed there with his mother after his father passed away.
Alan went to Haberdashers' Aske's Boys School. He was very good at cross-country running there. During World War II, he joined the British Army as an officer.
In 1943, he joined the Army Film and Photographic Unit in Italy. He filmed important events like the Anzio landings. He also met famous military leaders. Alan was one of the first Allied soldiers to enter Milan. He even filmed Benito Mussolini's body. He also helped to arrest a British person who had betrayed his country.
A Career in Broadcasting
After World War II, Alan Whicker became a journalist. He worked as a newspaper reporter during the Korean War. In 1957, he joined the BBC, a big British TV company. He became an international reporter for their show Tonight.
In 1958, Alan started presenting Whicker's World. This show began as a small part of Tonight. But it soon became its own full TV series in the 1960s. Whicker's World was filmed all over the world. It became very popular in the UK.
Alan continued to host the show until the 1990s. He won a BAFTA Award in 1964 for his presenting. He also won the Richard Dimbleby Award in 1978. Alan helped start Yorkshire Television. He made TV shows for them from 1969 to 1992. One of his first shows for them was about François "Papa Doc" Duvalier, the leader of Haiti.
Alan Whicker also appeared in adverts for companies like American Express. He narrated a BBC documentary series called Comedy Map of Britain in 2007 and 2008.
In 2005, he was given the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) award. This was for his great work in television. In 2009, when he was 88, Alan went back to some places he had visited before. He met people he had interviewed decades earlier for a BBC series called Alan Whicker's Journey of a Lifetime. He wanted to see how their lives had changed.
Personal Life
Alan Whicker had a relationship with Olga Deterding from 1966 to 1969. After that, he was with his partner, Valerie Kleeman, from 1969 until his death. He never married and did not have any children.
Death and Legacy
Alan Whicker passed away on July 12, 2013. He died from a lung infection at his home in Jersey, in the Channel Islands. He was 91 years old.
Many people in television shared their sadness. Michael Parkinson, a famous broadcaster, said Alan was "a fine journalist and great storyteller." Michael Palin called him "a great character, a great traveller and an excellent reporter." Judith Chalmers, a travel presenter, said he was "an icon for the travel industry."
In 2015, it was announced that Alan Whicker's money would be used to help documentary makers. This fund, called The Whickers, gives out awards to new filmmakers.
Cultural Impact
Alan Whicker was known for his clever way of showing different cultures. His show Whicker's World was so famous that it was often made fun of in a friendly way.
- The comedy group Monty Python's Flying Circus made a sketch about "Whicker Island." On this island, everyone dressed and acted like Alan Whicker.
- Benny Hill, another comedian, pretended to be Whicker in a parody called "Knicker's World."
- In 1981, a British music group called The Evasions released a song called "Wikka Wrap." It featured someone pretending to be Whicker. This song was later used in Coolio's 1996 song "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)".
See also
In Spanish: Alan Whicker para niños
