John Humphrys facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Humphrys
|
|
|---|---|
Humphrys in 2012
|
|
| Born |
Desmond John Humphrys
17 August 1943 |
| Education | Cardiff High School |
| Occupation | Journalist, presenter |
| Years active | 1966–present |
| Employer | BBC |
| Agent | Kruger Cowne Ltd |
|
Notable credit(s)
|
BBC Nine O'Clock News (1981–1987) Today (1987–2019) Mastermind (2003–2021) Celebrity Mastermind (2003–2021) |
| Spouse(s) |
Edna Wilding
(m. 1964, divorced) |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Bob Humphrys (brother) |
Desmond John Humphrys (born 17 August 1943) is a famous Welsh broadcaster. He is well-known for presenting major news and quiz shows. From 1981 to 1987, he was the main presenter of the BBC Nine O'Clock News, a top news show. Then, from 1987 until 2019, he presented the Today breakfast programme on BBC Radio 4.
He also hosted the popular BBC Two quiz show Mastermind for many years, from 2003 to 2021. That's a huge 735 episodes! John Humphrys is known for being a very direct and challenging interviewer. Sometimes, politicians found his questions tough when they were live on air. Today, he presents a show on Classic FM.
Contents
Early Life and First Jobs
John Humphrys was born in 1943 in Adamsdown, Cardiff, Wales. His dad was a French polisher and his mum was a hairdresser. He was one of five children in his family. When he was young, he had whooping cough. His mum decided to call him John instead of Desmond, so he wouldn't be known as 'Dismal Desmond'.
His parents encouraged him to study. He passed an important exam called the eleven plus exam. This allowed him to go to Cardiff High School, which was a grammar school back then. However, he didn't really fit in with the other students. He was an average student and left school at 15.
Instead of going to university, John decided to become a reporter. His first job was at the Penarth Times. This was a local newspaper that covered news in the town of Penarth. Later, he worked for a bigger regional newspaper called the Western Mail in Cardiff. He then moved into television, joining a channel called Television Wales and the West (TWW).
John's Career at the BBC
John Humphrys joined the BBC in 1966. He started as a reporter in Liverpool and the north-west. He reported on important events like dock strikes, sometimes for the national news.
Reporting from Around the World
After that, he became a foreign correspondent. This meant he travelled to different countries to report the news. At first, he had to leave his young family for many months. Later, he took his family with him to places like the United States and South Africa. He opened new news offices for the BBC in these countries.
He reported on many big events. For example, he covered the resignation of US president Richard Nixon in 1974. He also reported from South Africa on the end of Rhodesia and the start of the new country of Zimbabwe. John eventually got tired of living in hotels and travelling all the time. So, in 1980, he came back to London. He became the BBC's Diplomatic Correspondent, reporting on international relations.
Becoming a News Presenter
In 1981, John became the main presenter of the BBC's top news show, the BBC Nine O'Clock News. This was a big change for BBC news. Before, news presenters just read scripts. But John Humphrys and another presenter, John Simpson, became involved in preparing the news. They helped decide what went into the broadcast.
In January 1987, John started presenting the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He worked alongside Brian Redhead. He also still appeared on BBC Television news shows in the 1990s. During the 1991 Gulf War, he even volunteered to present on a special BBC radio news service.
Hosting TV Shows
From 1993 to 2002, John presented a weekly political TV show called On The Record. In 2001, he was surprised on the TV show This Is Your Life. He also appeared briefly on Da Ali G Show in 2000.
John also presented Panorama, a well-known investigative TV show. From 2003, he became the host of the quiz show Mastermind. He was the fourth regular host of the show.
Exploring Faith
John Humphrys has said he is an agnostic. This means he isn't sure if God exists. But he is curious about faith. In 2006, he presented a BBC Radio 4 programme called Humphrys in Search of God. In this show, he talked to experts on Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. He wanted to see if they could help him find his childhood belief in God again.
Later Career and Departure from BBC
In 2009, John temporarily hosted Question Time, another political TV show. In 2011, he agreed to continue presenting the Today programme but took a pay cut.
In 2019, John announced he would leave the Today programme. He said he probably should have left "years ago." His last show was on 19 September 2019. He interviewed important people like Tony Blair and David Cameron.
On 6 February 2021, John announced he would also leave Mastermind. He had hosted the show for 18 years. His final episode aired on 26 April 2021. Clive Myrie took over as the new host.
Other Interests and Activities
John Humphrys has written several books. Some of his books talk about how he thinks the English language is misused. He has also written about food and his thoughts on faith. In 2019, he released his memoir, A Day Like Today. This book shared his views on what it was like working at the BBC.
He also appeared in a 2013 crime thriller film called Closed Circuit. He played himself in the movie. After leaving the BBC, John started writing a weekly column for the Daily Mail newspaper. He also became a presenter on Classic FM on Sunday afternoons. John is a keen gardener and enjoys making his own compost.
John's Personal Life
John Humphrys married Edna Wilding in 1964. They had two children, a son named Christopher and a daughter named Catherine. Their marriage ended in the late 1980s. Edna sadly passed away from cancer in 1997. John wrote about her final days in a hospice in his book Devil's Advocate. His son Christopher is now a professional cellist. His daughter Catherine is a professional vegan chef.
In 2000, when John was 56, he had another son, Owen James, with his partner Valerie Sanderson. Valerie was a newsreader and is now a radio producer. John and Valerie later separated. In 2009, he started a relationship with journalist Catherine Bennett.
John's brother, Bob Humphrys, was also a TV presenter for sports news on BBC Wales. Bob passed away from lung cancer in 2008 at age 56. In 2013, John appeared on a BBC Wales show called Coming Home. On the show, he found out that his great-grandmother had lived in a workhouse in Cardiff. He also learned that his great-grandfather was from Finland.
John loves classical music. He was a guest on the BBC Radio 4 show Desert Island Discs in 2008. His favourite piece of music on the show was Elgar's Cello Concerto.
Awards and Recognition
John Humphrys has won many awards for his work. In 2000, he was named Journalist of the Year. He also won the Gold Sony Radio Award in 2003. He received a special award for "Crystal Clear Broadcasting" from the Plain English Campaign.
He also has an honorary degree from Abertay University in Scotland.
Images for kids
-
Humphrys in 2012
