Chris Needs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chris Needs
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| Born | 12 March 1954 Cwmafan, Neath Port Talbot, Wales
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| Died | 26 July 2020 (aged 66) |
| Nationality | Welsh |
| Occupation | Radio presenter, pianist |
| Employer | BBC Cymru Wales |
| Board member of | Founder, Chris Needs Hospital Appeal |
| Spouse(s) | Gabe Cameron |
Christopher Needs, known as Chris Needs MBE, was a popular Welsh radio presenter and pianist. He was born on March 12, 1954, and passed away on July 26, 2020, at the age of 66. Many people knew him from his evening and daytime shows on BBC Radio Wales.
Contents
About Chris Needs
Early Life and Health
Chris Needs grew up in Cwmafan, a town near Port Talbot in Wales. He went to local schools there. His husband, Gabe Cameron, sometimes helped by answering calls from listeners during Chris's radio show.
Chris was very involved in helping others. He started a charity called the Chris Needs Hospital Appeal. This charity helped hospitals in South Wales. Because of his great work for charity and his broadcasting, he received an MBE award from Queen Elizabeth II in 2005. This award is a special honor given to people who have made a big difference.
After his mother passed away in 2001, Chris started to feel unwell. He found out he had Type 2 diabetes. This is a condition where your body has trouble controlling blood sugar. Chris then became an ambassador for Diabetes Cymru, helping to raise awareness about the condition. In 2016, he lost a lot of weight due to a throat issue. His journey was even shown in a TV documentary. Chris Needs died in 2020 because of a heart condition.
His Career in Radio and Music
Chris Needs was a very talented pianist. He even played with famous singers like Bonnie Tyler. He also appeared on Welsh TV shows, such as Noson Lawen. Besides music, Chris had many different jobs. He worked as a language translator, an actor, and a tour guide. He was also a vocal and piano entertainer. His work took him to many countries, including Spain, Gibraltar, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Jersey. He could speak English, Welsh, Spanish, and Dutch, and he was learning German too!
Chris started his radio journey at a station called Touch AM. Later, he co-hosted a show called Live Time on Radio Wales. In 2002, he got his very own show, The Friendly Garden Programme, which was on every weekday evening. For a while, his friend Nikki-Sue, a singer, joined him on the show.
The Friendly Garden Community
Many people who called into Chris's show were part of a special group called The Chris Needs Friendly Garden Association. This group, often just called The Garden, had almost 50,000 members! Most members were from Wales, but some were from as far away as Queensland, Australia. Most of the members were women. Everyone in the group got a special membership number. If you were a man, your number started with "M" for "Mere Male". Even pets could join, and their numbers started with "A" for "Animal member"!
Awards and Books
Chris Needs received several awards for his work in radio:
- In 1996, he won a Silver Award for Best Regional Presenter at the Sony Radio Academy Awards.
- In 2009, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Variety Club of Great Britain.
Chris also wrote several books, sharing his life stories:
- 2007 – Like It Is: My Autobiography
- 2008 – The Jenkins's's's's's
- 2009 – And There's More ... My Autobiography – part 2
- 2013 – Highs And Lows
