Nicky Campbell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nicky Campbell OBE
Campbell speaking at the Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in London in 2018
Born	Nicholas Lackey (1961-04-10) 10 April 1961 (age 64) Edinburgh, Scotland
Education	Edinburgh Academy
Alma mater	University of Aberdeen
Television	Wheel of Fortune Top of the Pops Watchdog For the Rest of Your Life The Big Questions Long Lost Family
Spouse(s)	Linda Larnach ​ ​ (m. 1988; div. 1995)​ Tina Ritchie ​ (m. 1997)​
Children	4

Nicholas Andrew Argyll Campbell OBE (born Nicholas Lackey; 10 April 1961) is a well-known Scottish TV and radio presenter. He has worked in broadcasting since 1981 and has been a presenter for BBC Radio since 1987. He is especially known for shows like Long Lost Family and his radio phone-in programs.

Early Life and Education

Nicky Campbell was born in Portobello, Edinburgh, on 10 April 1961. He was adopted when he was just a few days old. His birth parents were both from Ireland. His birth mother, Stella Lackey, was a nurse. His birth father, Eugene Hughes, was a policeman.

Nicky's adoptive mother, Sheila, was a social worker, and his adoptive father, Frank, published maps. Nicky grew up in Newington, Edinburgh. He went to Edinburgh Academy, an independent school. He later studied History at the University of Aberdeen and earned a good degree.

Nicky Campbell's Career in Radio

Campbell presenting the Radio 1 Roadshow from Helensburgh in July 1989

Nicky Campbell always loved radio. He started working at Northsound Radio in Aberdeen while still at university. He made commercials and wrote jingles. In 1983, he got his own show called The World of Opera.

He later moved to Capital Radio in London in 1986. There, he presented weekend shows and filled in for other presenters. In October 1987, he joined BBC Radio 1.

Working at BBC Radio 1

At Radio 1, Nicky first presented a late-night Saturday show. He soon moved to the weekend early show. Towards the end of 1988, he got the weekday late-night slot called Into the Night. He played many types of music and interviewed various guests. These included famous people like Frank Zappa and John Major. He also often had comedian Frankie Howerd on his show.

Nicky briefly left Radio 1 in 1993 to care for his wife. He returned in 1994 to present the weekday Drivetime show. In 1995, he took over the afternoon show.

Moving to BBC Radio 5 Live

In 1997, Nicky joined BBC Radio 5 Live, a news and sport network. He presented the mid-morning phone-in show for five years. In January 2003, he started co-presenting the breakfast show. He worked with Victoria Derbyshire, then Shelagh Fogarty, and later Rachel Burden.

From 2021, Nicky began presenting a two-hour phone-in program. This show airs every weekday morning from 9 am to 11 am. Sometimes, his show is also shown on the BBC News Channel and BBC Two.

Other Radio Work and Awards

Nicky has also worked for BBC Radio 2. He presented specials about musicians like Engelbert Humperdink and Francis Rossi of Status Quo. He also interviewed Giles Martin live from Abbey Road studios.

During his time at Radio 5 Live, Nicky has covered many major events. These include four Olympic Games and several Football World Cups. He has also covered every general election and referendum since 1997.

Nicky has won many awards for his radio work. In 1999, he was named Radio Personality of the Year by the Variety Club. He has won several Sony Awards, including five gold awards. In 2017, he and Rachel Burden won an Aria Award for "Best Speech Presenter Breakfast". In 2014, he was added to the Arqiva Radio Academy Hall of Fame. This honor recognizes his great contribution to UK radio.

In 2024, he presented a series for BBC Radio 3 about classical music and parenting. He also wrote and presented a three-part series for BBC Radio 4. This series explored how boarding schools have influenced Britain.

Nicky Campbell's Television Career

Nicky Campbell started his mainstream television career in 1987. He hosted a pop quiz called The Video Jukebox on Grampian Television.

Early TV Shows

From 1988 to 1997, Nicky was a regular presenter on Top of the Pops on BBC1. This was a very popular music show.

From 1988 to 1996, he hosted the British version of Wheel of Fortune. This game show was very popular and reached up to 12 million viewers. Old episodes are still shown on Challenge TV.

In 1989, he presented Travelling Talk Show from places like Volgograd in the Soviet Union. This show discussed important topics with local people.

Consumer and Debate Shows

Between 1990 and 2001, Nicky presented Central Weekend. This was a lively debate show known for its strong discussions. He also hosted similar shows for Carlton Television and network ITV.

From 2001 to 2009, he was a co-presenter on Watchdog. This long-running show helped consumers with their problems.

Reality and Factual Programs

In 2006, Nicky appeared in the singing show Just the Two of Us. He sang with Beverley Knight.

In 2007, he hosted The Rest of Your Life on ITV. This was a game show where couples could win monthly payments.

Nicky hosted The Big Questions on BBC One for 14 series, from 2007 to 2021. This show discussed ethical and religious topics.

Long Lost Family and Documentaries

In 2011, Long Lost Family began. Nicky presents this show with Davina McCall. They help people find their missing relatives. The show has helped with over 700 searches. It is one of ITV's most popular factual shows.

Nicky and Davina also present spin-off shows like Long Lost Family – What Happened Next. They also host Long Lost Family – Born without Trace. This show helps foundlings (babies abandoned at birth) discover their origins using DNA. Long Lost Family has won several awards, including a BAFTA Award in 2014. Born Without Trace also won a BAFTA in 2021.

In 2014, Nicky made the documentary series Wanted: A Family of My Own for ITV. This program aimed to show the adoption process.

In 2017, he made a documentary for the Women at War series with his adoptive mother, Sheila. He learned about her role as a radar operator during World War II.

In 2019 and 2020, he presented Operation Live for Channel 5. This show broadcast life-changing surgeries live.

In 2021, Nicky presented Manhunt: The Raoul Moat Story on ITV1. In June 2023, his documentary Secrets of the Bay City Rollers was released. This film explored difficult stories related to the famous band.

In November 2023, Nicky presented the State Opening of Parliament for the BBC. He also appeared in a Panorama documentary. In this program, he spoke about difficult experiences he had at Edinburgh Academy as a child.

In February 2024, Nicky took part in The Masked Singer UK. He was the character "Dippy Egg".

Voiceover Work

Nicky Campbell narrates the CBeebies show Our Story. He has also provided voiceovers for documentaries like Motorway Cops: Catching Britain's Speeders and Rogue Landlords, Nightmare Tenants on Channel 5.

Podcasts

Nicky Campbell has two popular podcasts. His podcast One of Family is about dogs. It often reaches number 1 in the Apple Podcasts Pets and Animal charts. Guests have included Ricky Gervais and Gary Lineker.

In June 2022, the BBC launched his podcast Different for Radio 5 Live. In this podcast, he interviews people with unusual experiences or beliefs. Guests have included people who escaped prison and a Scottish witch. He also discussed his daughter Kirsty's experience with ADHD.

In July 2022, Nicky spoke on his Different podcast about difficult experiences he had at The Edinburgh Academy. This led to more people coming forward with similar stories. The police opened an investigation called Operation Tree Frog. In 2023, the teacher involved was identified as Iain Wares.

In 2023, his podcast Different won the award for best interview podcast at the British Podcast Awards.

Music

Nicky Campbell is a self-taught musician. He plays piano, guitar, and ukulele. He started writing music for radio jingles in 1981. In 1996, he won a Sony Award for his music for the BBC Radio One Afternoon Show.

In 2009, he wrote a swing album for actor Mark Moraghan. He also sang backing vocals on the album. In 2014, Nicky co-wrote the album Just Passing Through with Kate Robbins.

He composed the original theme music for The Big Questions on BBC One. In 2017, he wrote the song "Sacred Eyes" for the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. He has also written all the music for his podcasts, One of the Family and Different.

In May 2024, he created Nicky Campbell Music to release his compositions online. He is also a director of Mhor Music Ltd., a company that creates music for film and TV.

Writing and Books

Nicky Campbell has written for many newspapers and magazines. He wrote a music column for the Scottish Sunday Mail and a sports column for the Guardian.

He has written two books. His first book, Blue-Eyed Son – The Story of an Adoption, came out in 2004. In this book, he wrote about finding his birth parents. He met his birth mother, Stella Lackey, in 1989 and his birth father, Eugene Hughes, in 2002. He also learned about his birth family's history in Ireland. The book was praised for being "astonishingly honest".

His second book, One of the Family – Why a Dog Called Maxwell Changed My Life, was a bestseller in 2021. In this book, he talked about his relationship with his birth mother and his adoptive parents. He also shared his experience with bipolar disorder and how his dog, Maxwell, helped him. The book was described as "A remarkable autobiography".

Campaigning for Animals

Nicky Campbell loves dogs and is a strong supporter of animal rights and conservation. He campaigns to raise awareness about the problems facing African elephants. He works with organizations like the Born Free Foundation to ban the ivory trade.

He often attends the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos. He also supports the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya and the Jane Goodall Institute. In 2020, he won an Animal Star Award for his animal campaigning. He also supports Guide Dogs UK and hosted their presentation at Crufts in 2022.

Honors and Awards

On 4 December 2008, Nicky Campbell received an Honorary Doctorate from the Robert Gordon University.

He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2015 Birthday Honours. This was for his work helping children and promoting adoption. In 2016, he received another Honorary Doctorate from the University of Aberdeen.

Personal Life

Nicky Campbell married his first wife, Linda Larnach, in 1988. They later divorced in 1995. He then married Christina "Tina" Ritchie, a journalist, on 13 December 1997. Tina is a newsreader for BBC Radio 4.

Nicky and Tina live in Balham and have a home in Glenelg in the Scottish Highlands. They have four daughters. After having his own children, Nicky decided to find his Irish biological father in 2002.

His birth mother, Stella, passed away in 2008. His birth father, Eugene, passed away in 2021. Nicky's adoptive father, Frank, died in 1996.

Nicky has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a mental health condition. He has openly discussed his experiences with depression. His birth mother also had bipolar disorder.

In 2021, he dedicated his book One of the Family to his adoptive mother, Sheila. Sheila passed away in 2019 at the age of 96. Nicky shared a heartfelt message about her, saying she was his "real mum" and that adopting him was like him "winning the lottery."

Filmography

Television

Radio