John McCririck facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John McCririck
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McCririck in 2006
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| Born |
John Michael McCririck
17 April 1940 Surbiton, Surrey, England
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| Died | 5 July 2019 (aged 79) |
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| Years active | 1978–2019 |
| Spouse(s) |
Jenny McCririck
(m. 1971) |
John Michael McCririck (born 17 April 1940 – died 5 July 2019) was a well-known English television personality, journalist, and a pundit for horse racing. A pundit is someone who gives their opinions and comments on a particular subject, often on TV or radio.
McCririck started his career at a newspaper called The Sporting Life. He won awards for his investigative journalism there. Later, he became famous for his role in horse racing coverage on ITV Sport and then Channel 4. In 2012, Channel 4 decided to change its team, and McCririck was no longer included. He believed this was because of his age, but a court case did not agree with him.
From the 1980s, John McCririck appeared on many TV shows. These included Bullseye, Celebrity Big Brother, and Weakest Link. He was known for his unique style and strong opinions.
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Early Life and Education
John McCririck was born in Surbiton, Surrey, England. His parents worked in property development. He went to several schools, including Elizabeth College, Guernsey, Victoria College, Jersey, and Harrow School. At Harrow, he was classmates with Julian Wilson, who also became a racing journalist.
He left school with three GCE Ordinary Level qualifications. Even in school, he showed an interest in betting by taking bets on cross-country races.
A Career in Horse Racing and TV
After school, McCririck tried different jobs. He worked briefly as a waiter at a fancy hotel called The Dorchester. He also worked in the betting world, even running his own betting business for a while.
He began his journalism career at The Sporting Life newspaper. He won two awards for his special reports. He later worked for the Daily Star newspaper.
Becoming a TV Star
In 1981, McCririck joined ITV Sport to cover horse racing. Before this, he had appeared on a children's TV show called The Saturday Banana in 1978. In 1984 and 1985, horse racing coverage moved from ITV to Channel 4, becoming Channel 4 Racing.
His role grew, and he became known for reporting from the betting area at races. He developed a very recognizable look. This included a large deerstalker hat, long sideburns, and bright, colorful suits. He often smoked big cigars, which became part of his famous image.
In 2012, Channel 4 decided to change its racing team. They announced that John McCririck would not be part of the new setup from 2013. McCririck felt this decision was made because of his age. He took the matter to a special court, but the court decided against him. They said his "pantomime persona" and strong opinions were not what the channel wanted for a wider audience.
In December 2018, McCririck started writing a weekly column for The Racing Paper.
Other TV Appearances
John McCririck was a popular guest on many television shows.
He appeared on the 1991 Bullseye Christmas Special. He won the top prize for his chosen charity, the Sue Ryder Foundation. He also took part in the Celebrity Poker Club TV series. He reached the final of the first series.
In 1994, he was featured on the BBC One show Noel's House Party. He received a "Gotcha" trophy, which was a prank played on celebrities.
In January 2005, he was a contestant on the third series of Celebrity Big Brother. He also competed on Weakest Link. In April 2005, McCririck appeared on an episode of Hell's Kitchen. The head chef, Marco Pierre White, refused to serve him after McCririck said his soup was "greasy."
In 2006, he appeared in an episode of the show Still Game. He played himself, giving horse racing tips. McCririck returned to the Big Brother house in Ultimate Big Brother in August 2010.
In 2011, he was in an episode of Celebrity Ghost Stories. He talked about his experiences with a haunted passageway at Harrow School. In June 2015, he returned to the Big Brother house for a special event called "Big Brother's Hotel from Hell."
Personal Life
John McCririck married Jennifer Barnes in 1970. He often called her "The Booby." In 2006, the couple took part in the TV show Wife Swap. On the show, they swapped partners with Edwina Currie and her husband. McCririck was also a big fan of the Newcastle United F.C. football team.
In early 2018, McCririck became ill with the flu, which led to a chest infection. This illness caused him to lose a lot of weight.
John McCririck passed away on 5 July 2019, in London. He was 79 years old and had been ill with lung cancer.
Chris Cook, a racing journalist, wrote about McCririck after his death. He said that McCririck was "outrageous" in how he spoke and looked. He wanted people to react to him, which made many TV shows and events more exciting. Cook also mentioned that while McCririck's funny act got him attention, he was also a very skilled journalist. He had uncovered some important betting scandals in the 1970s.
See also
- Horse racing in Great Britain
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