Derek Jameson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Derek Jameson
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Jameson signing an autograph
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| Born | 29 November 1929 |
| Died | 12 September 2012 (aged 82) Worthing, England
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| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | Journalist, and after dinner speaker |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | 3 sons, 1 daughter |
Derek Jameson (born 29 November 1929 – died 12 September 2012) was a famous English journalist and broadcaster. He started his career in 1944 as a messenger at Reuters, a news agency. He worked very hard and became the editor of several big British newspapers in the 1970s and 1980s.
Later, he became a popular voice on BBC Radio 2 for almost 15 years. He even hosted a show with his third wife, Ellen. At the peak of his fame, he was called "the second most famous man in Britain" after Prince Charles.
Early life
Derek Jameson was born in Hackney, London. He grew up in a children's home with his mother. Conditions there were tough, and many children shared beds.
As a child, Derek was sent away from London to Bishop's Stortford during the Second World War. This was to keep him safe from bombings. He had a difficult childhood and even spent some time in a special school for young people.
Career
Fleet Street
Derek's career began in Fleet Street, which was the heart of the newspaper world in London. He started as a messenger boy at Reuters and became a trainee reporter in 1946. For a short time, he was a member of the Communist Party, which earned him the nickname "red menace."
He returned to Reuters after serving in the Army until 1951. He worked his way up to become chief sub-editor. In 1961, he joined the Daily Express newspaper.
After working there for two years, he became a picture editor for the Sunday Mirror. From 1965, he was an assistant editor at the Daily Mirror. In 1976, he became the managing editor of the Daily Mirror.
The next year, he became the editor of the Daily Express. Under his leadership, the newspaper's daily sales increased by 500,000 copies. This was a 25% increase!
In 1978, he also became editor-in-chief of a new, more casual newspaper called the Daily Star. Derek helped launch this paper, aiming it at a wide audience. Within a year, the Daily Star sold a million copies every day. Derek became known for his ability to boost newspaper sales.
He became editor of the News of the World in 1981. However, he was fired in 1984 after publishing a controversial story.
Libel case
Derek Jameson had a strong accent and a direct personality. In 1980, a Radio 4 show called Week Ending made fun of him. They said he was an "East End boy made bad" and joked about his intelligence.
Derek sued the BBC for libel, which means saying something untrue that harms someone's reputation. He lost the case in 1984. Even though the jury agreed the broadcast was harmful, they also felt it was fair comment. Derek had to pay £75,000 in legal costs.
This financial setback, combined with losing his job at the News of the World, led him to accept an offer from the BBC.
Broadcasting
In 1984, Derek presented a TV series for BBC 2 called Do They Mean Us?. It looked at how foreign TV networks reported on Britain. His catchphrase on the show was: "Do they mean us? They surely do!"
He joined BBC Radio 2 in late 1985. He filled in for other presenters before taking over the popular breakfast show in April 1986. He hosted it until 1991, greeting listeners with "morning, morning, Jameson here."
From 1992 to 1997, he hosted a late-night show called The Jamesons with his wife Ellen. In 1988, he also presented the BBC1 television show People.
In 1989 and 1990, he hosted a nightly chat show called Jameson Tonight on Sky One. In 2010, he took part in a BBC show called The Young Ones. In this show, older celebrities tried to overcome problems of aging by remembering the 1970s.
After his regular broadcasting career, Derek wrote a weekly column for the Brighton Argus. He also became a popular after-dinner speaker.
Personal life
Derek Jameson married Jackie in 1947. They later divorced in the 1960s. He married Pauline in 1971. In 1978, he married Ellen Petrie, and they stayed together until his death.
Derek had three sons and one daughter from his first two marriages. He passed away on 12 September 2012, at the age of 82, from a heart attack.
See also
In Spanish: Derek Jameson para niños
