Des Lynam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Des Lynam
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Lynam in 2005
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| Born |
Desmond Michael Lynam
17 September 1942 Ennis, County Clare, Ireland
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| Occupation | Radio/Television presenter |
| Years active | 1968–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Susan Skinner
(m. 1965; div. 1974)Rosemary Diamond
(m. 2011) |
| Children | 1 |
Desmond Michael Lynam (born 17 September 1942) is a famous Irish-born British TV and radio presenter. He has worked in broadcasting for over 40 years. During this time, he has hosted many of the world's biggest sports events.
He presented popular shows like Grandstand, Match of the Day, and covered major events such as Wimbledon and the Olympic Games. Des Lynam also hosted non-sports shows like Holiday and Countdown.
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Early Life and School
Des Lynam was born in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland. When he was six years old, his family moved to Brighton, England. He remembers having a strong Irish accent when he first moved, but he soon lost it.
In 1954, he passed an important exam called the eleven-plus. This allowed him to attend Varndean Grammar School. After finishing his A-levels, he started working in the insurance business.
Broadcasting Career Highlights
Starting in Radio (1968–1978)
Des Lynam began his career in broadcasting in 1968. He worked as a freelance radio journalist for BBC Radio Brighton. Soon after, he joined the national BBC radio in London.
He became a well-known voice on BBC Radio 2. He hosted popular sports shows like Sport on Two and Sports Report. For a few years, he also helped present the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. Des Lynam was also the radio boxing commentator for 20 years.
Moving to Television (1977–1999)
In 1977, Des Lynam started working in television. He first appeared on Sportswide, which was part of the show Nationwide. He continued with this until 1983.
He then became a familiar face on many BBC sports shows. He presented Grandstand for many years, from 1979 to 1991. He also hosted Sportsnight and Match of the Day.
Des Lynam was the main presenter for the BBC's coverage of major events. These included Wimbledon, the Grand National, the Football World Cup, and the Olympic Games.
In 1988 and 1989, Des Lynam also presented the BBC travel series Holiday.
In April 1989, Des Lynam was at the Hillsborough disaster. He was there to cover the FA Cup semi-final match for Match of the Day.
For a few years, the BBC lost the rights to show top league football matches. However, Des Lynam continued to present Match of the Day for FA Cup weekends. In 1992, the BBC got the rights back for Premier League highlights. Des Lynam then presented Match of the Day highlights until 1999.
People often praised Des Lynam for his clever and easy-to-understand style.
Moving to ITV (1999–2004)
In August 1999, Des Lynam moved from the BBC to ITV. He wanted a new challenge and loved live football. He started presenting ITV's live football coverage, including the UEFA Champions League.
ITV later got a deal to show Premier League highlights. In 2001, Des Lynam presented The Premiership on ITV. The show first aired at 7pm, but later moved to 10:30pm. This show ran until May 2004.
Des Lynam continued to present football for ITV until 2004. He decided to stop presenting live sports after the Euro 2004 football championships. After this, he hosted a new radio show called Des Meets... on BBC Radio Five Live.
Later Career (2005–2013)
In May 2005, Des Lynam presented the BBC One show We'll Meet Again. This show marked 60 years since VE Day. He also presented an episode of Have I Got News For You on BBC One.
In June and July 2005, he co-presented The World's Greatest Sporting Legend on Sky One. That summer, he also covered the Wimbledon Championships for BBC Radio Five Live.
In October 2005, Des Lynam released his autobiography. It was called I Should Have Been at Work. The title came from something he once said during the 1998 Football World Cup. He said, "Good afternoon. Shouldn't you be at work?" when introducing an England match at 2pm on a Monday.
In 2005, Des Lynam became the host of Channel 4's game show Countdown. He took over after Richard Whiteley passed away. His first episode aired on 31 October 2005. He left Countdown at the end of 2006 because he had to travel a long way to Leeds for filming. He was replaced by Des O'Connor. However, Des Lynam returned for Countdown's 5000th episode in 2010 as a special guest.
After leaving Countdown, he hosted Sport Mastermind. He also appeared in commercials for Setanta Sports.
In April 2009, Des Lynam spoke about his memories of the Hillsborough disaster. This was for a special Football Focus programme marking 20 years since the event.
From 2011 to 2013, Des Lynam co-hosted a show called Touchline Tales on BBC Radio 4. This show was a funny look at sports.
In a 2015 interview, Des Lynam said he really enjoyed his radio boxing commentaries. He especially liked following Muhammad Ali around the world.
Personal Life
Des Lynam married Susan Skinner in 1965. They had one son, Patrick, born in 1970. They divorced in 1974. In 2011, Des Lynam married his long-term partner, Rosemary Diamond. They live in West Sussex.
Des Lynam supports the football team Brighton & Hove Albion. In the 1990s, he was asked to join the board of directors at Brighton, but he said no.
He was given an award called Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2008. This award recognizes his contributions to broadcasting.
Images for kids
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Des Lynam in 2005
