Adrian Chiles (born 21 March 1967) is an
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
television and radio presenter.
His journalistic training and love of football have resulted in a career in two streams of broadcasting, fronting general and notably business programmes such as
Working LunchWorking Lunch is a television programme broadcast on BBC Two which covers business, personal finance and consumer news. The programme was first aired on 19 September 1994...
and
The Money ProgrammeThe Money Programme is a finance and business affairs television programme on BBC2.It was first broadcast on 5 April 1966 and presented by "commentators" William Davis, Erskine Childers and Joe Roeber...
; and sports programmes like
Match of the Day 2Match of the Day 2 is a football highlights programme shown on BBC Two in the United Kingdom. It was created in 2004 when the BBC regained the right to broadcast Premier League highlights. The programme is hosted by Adrian Chiles and usually features analysis from two pundits...
. His radio programme
Chiles on Saturday for BBC Radio 5 Live was awarded the sports category Gold Medal at the
Sony Radio Academy AwardsThe Sony Radio Academy Awards , started in 1983, are some of the most prestigious awards in the British radio industry. They are run by ZAFER Associates in association with the Radio Academy...
in 2002. According to a study by the media agency MPG, Chiles was the most-watched presenter on British television in 2008, with a cumulative audience of over 1 billion.
Biography
Chiles was born in
HagleyHagley is a village and civil parish on the northern boundary of Worcestershire, England, near to the towns of Kidderminster and Stourbridge. The parish had a population of 4,283 in 2001, but the whole village had a population of perhaps 5,600, including the part in Clent parish...
to a Jewish father and
CroatianCroats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 5 million Croats living in the southern Central Europe region, along the east bank of the Adriatic Sea and an estimated 9 million throughout the world...
mother, and a feature of his presentations is his North Worcestershire accent, which appears to be very similar to both the
BrummieBrummie is a colloquial term for the inhabitants, accent and dialect of Birmingham, England, as well as being a general adjective used to denote a connection with the city, locally called Brum...
and
Black CountryThe Black Country is a loosely defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham.By the late 19th century, this area had become one of the most intensely industrialised in the nation...
accents. All three of the aforementioned accents are seldom heard on national TV and radio in the UK. Because of this, Adrian is very distinct from his peers, many of whom speak
RPReceived Pronunciation , also called the Queen's English and BBC English, is the accent of Standard English in England, with a relationship to regional dialects similar to that of other European languages...
. He also speaks
CroatianCroatian is a South Slavic language which is used primarily in Croatia, by Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, by Croatian minorities in some neighbouring countries, in the Italian region of Molise, and parts of the Croatian diaspora....
, despite having a self-confessed imperfect understanding of the language's verbs,
declensionIn linguistics, declension is the occurrence of inflection in nouns, pronouns and adjectives, indicating such features as number , case , gender, and possession. Declension occurs in a great many of the world's languages, and features very prominently in many European languages, but is much less...
s, and cases. Chiles started his education at
Haybridge High SchoolHaybridge High School is a 11–18 mixed comprehensive school with approximately 1,250 students in Hagley, serving North West Worcestershire....
, and then worked in his father's scaffolding business, before graduating with a degree in
English LiteratureEnglish literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; Joseph Conrad was born in Poland, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, V.S....
from the
University of LondonBased primarily in London, England, United Kingdom, the University of London is a federal mega university made up of 31 affiliates: 19 separate university institutions, and 12 research institutes...
(studying at
Westfield CollegeWestfield College was a small college situated in Kidderpore Avenue, Hampstead, London, and a constituent college of the University of London from 1882 to 1989. The college originally admitted only women as students and became coeducational in 1964. In 1989, Westfield College merged with Queen Mary...
, now part of
Queen Mary, University of LondonQueen Mary, University of London is a constituent college of the University of London...
). Before going to university he was a keen amateur actor, appearing in the Crescent Theatre's (Birmingham) production of Mary O'Malley's
Once A Catholic and Sandy Wilson musical
The Boyfriend. After university, while waiting for his broken leg to heal from an amateur football incident he applied for and failed both Civil Service exams, before being asked to apply for
MI5The Security Service commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of the intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service , Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence Intelligence Staff...
— he failed the second interview.
Chiles next studied
journalismJournalism is the craft of conveying news, descriptive material and comment via a widening spectrum of media. These include newspapers, magazines, radio and television, the internet and even, more recently, the mobile phone...
at
CardiffCardiff University is a leading university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing the best university education in Wales...
and then worked, at one time, as a sports reporter for the
News of the WorldThe News of the World is a British tabloid newspaper published every Sunday. It is published by News Group Newspapers of News International, itself a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, and can be considered the Sunday sister paper of The Sun. The newspaper concentrates on...
, before joining the
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
(originally for work experience on
Business Breakfast). He then became an assistant producer and, by 1993, was presenting
BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4 is a domestic UK radio station that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967.-Outline:...
's
Financial World Tonight. This led to him fronting the
BBC Two
business show
Working LunchWorking Lunch is a television programme broadcast on BBC Two which covers business, personal finance and consumer news. The programme was first aired on 19 September 1994...
, where he came to popular notice.
He then began presenting and producing his own show
Chiles on Saturday for BBC Radio 5 Live, which was awarded the sports category Gold Medal at the
Sony Radio Academy AwardsThe Sony Radio Academy Awards , started in 1983, are some of the most prestigious awards in the British radio industry. They are run by ZAFER Associates in association with the Radio Academy...
in 2002. He has since created, scripted and fronted a variety of other programmes for the
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
, including for
BBC Two
the 2003 series
So What Do You Do All Day?, a look at the lives of the rich and famous, and
Asian Millionaires. For
BBC One
he has created and fronted
Royal Millions, an investigation of the Queen’s finances, as well as reports for
PanoramaPanorama is the longest-running current affairs documentary series in the world. Launched on 11 November 1953 on BBC Television, it focuses on investigative journalism. Daily Mail reporter Pat Murphy was the original presenter, only lasting one episode after accidentally broadcasting a technical...
and various documentaries.
In 2004, Chiles appeared with
Johnny VegasJohnny Vegas is an English actor and comedian. He is known for his bizarre rants, portly figure, husky voice, loyal support of rugby league and avid consumption of Guinness...
and
Mackenzie CrookPaul Mackenzie Crook is an English actor and comedian. He is best-known for playing Gareth Keenan in The Office and Ragetti in the Pirates of the Caribbean films.-Early life:...
in the movie
Sex Lives of the Potato MenSex Lives of the Potato Men is a British comedy film released in 2004.The film is about the sexual antics of a group of potato delivery men in Birmingham and stars Johnny Vegas and Mackenzie Crook....
in a cameo role as the host of a sex party.
Since 2006 Chiles has presented the spin-off series of the popular UK television show
The ApprenticeThe Apprentice is a BAFTA award-winning British reality television series in which a group of aspiring young businessmen and women compete for the chance to win a £100,000-a-year job as "apprentice" to the British business magnate Alan Sugar, The Baron Sugar...
called
The Apprentice: You're Fired!The Apprentice: You're Fired!, sometimes named You're Fired!, The Apprentice: You're Hired! or You're Hired!, is a British television show made by the BBC and filmed at Riverside Studios as a spin-off from the reality TV hit The Apprentice. It is hosted by Adrian Chiles and airs in a 30 minute slot...
, in which he interviews the latest candidate to be fired from the main series.
During August 2006 Adrian Chiles co-presented a pilot of a new BBC One early-evening magazine programme,
The One ShowThe One Show is a topical magazine-style television programme, broadcast live on weekdays at 7:00 pm on BBC One. It is hosted by Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley. It runs every week of the year, excluding a two-week break for Christmas. The One Show is broadcast from BBC Media Village in White...
. The show was re-commissioned for 2007 with Chiles returning as host, leaving
Working LunchWorking Lunch is a television programme broadcast on BBC Two which covers business, personal finance and consumer news. The programme was first aired on 19 September 1994...
.
When the BBC won back the rights to Premiership football, Chiles became the host of
Match of the Day 2Match of the Day 2 is a football highlights programme shown on BBC Two in the United Kingdom. It was created in 2004 when the BBC regained the right to broadcast Premier League highlights. The programme is hosted by Adrian Chiles and usually features analysis from two pundits...
on Sundays. In the run-up to the
2006 World CupThe 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th instance of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000...
, he was an integral part in
BBC ThreeBBC Three is a television channel from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel is described by the BBC as an outlet for 'New drama, talent, comedy, films, and accessible news'. The channel is on-air from 19:00 to about 04:00 each night, in...
's
African Cup of NationsThe Africa Cup of Nations, also referred to as the African Nations Cup is the main international association football competition in Africa. It is sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football , and was first held in 1957. Since 1968, it has been held every two years...
coverage. He was also a member of the
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
's
World CupThe 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th instance of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000...
team often bringing viewers late night highlights. He was an integral part of the BBC's Euro 2008 coverage. He was also one of the anchors of the morning 2008 Olympics coverage from Beijing.
In April 2007, Chiles was a guest host of BBC One's popular satirical news quiz,
Have I Got News for YouHave I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been running since 1990...
. He revealed that he is frequently mistaken for the author and presenter Ray Mears.
Chiles is the author of
We Don't Know What We're Doing. Published in 2007, the book recounts the stories of a varied cast of avid West Bromwich Albion supporters whom Chiles met over the course of the 2005/6 season, at the end of which the team was relegated from the Premier League. The book also documents Chiles' own obsession with his beloved "Baggies."
He holds the current World Record for highest number of kisses received in 60 seconds, with 78.
He appeared on the second series of
Al Murray's Happy HourAl Murray's Happy Hour is a chat show presented by comedian Al Murray and produced by Avalon TV. The first series aired in early 2007. It is broadcast on the British terrestrial TV network, ITV, and the first series was broadcast on Saturday nights at 10pm. The second series aired on Fridays at 10pm...
as himself, and also had a cameo as himself in Series Two of
That Mitchell and Webb LookThat Mitchell and Webb Look is a BAFTA award winning British television sketch show starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb, that has currently run for three six-part series. The first episode of the third series aired on June 11 2009. The first episode originally aired 14 September 2006 on BBC...
.
In 2009 Chiles was alleged to have been involved (by being the 'sneak') in the
Carol ThatcherCarol Thatcher is a British journalist, author, and media personality. She is the only daughter of Margaret Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, a former British Prime Minister, and Sir Denis Thatcher, Bt....
'golly-gate' affair.
Personal life
Chiles married
Jane GarveyJane Garvey is a British radio presenter, currently a presenter of BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour-Education:Garvey was educated at Merchant Taylors' Girls' School in Crosby, Merseyside and is a graduate of the University of Birmingham.-Work:...
, now a regular presenter of
Woman's HourWoman's Hour is a magazine programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in the United Kingdom.Created by Norman Collins and originally presented by Alan Ivimey the programme was first broadcast on 7 October 1946 on the BBC's Light Programme . It was transferred to its current home in 1973...
on
BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4 is a domestic UK radio station that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967.-Outline:...
, in September 1998 in
SwanseaSwansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
. Chiles and Garvey have two daughters (Evelyn born January 2000 and Sian born March 2003). In June 2008, it was announced that the couple had separated, and divorced in October 2009. He is a Roman Catholic.
Chiles is well known for his support of West Bromwich Albion football club, where he is a season-ticket holder and presenter on some of the club's official DVDs. Both of his cars have WBA in their registration and he has a stained glass West Bromwich Albion crest above his door. Chiles talks about West Brom in
this interview. He also supports the
Croatian national teamThe Croatia national football team represents the Republic of Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by Slaven Bilić...
, because of his
CroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a country in southeast Europe, at the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean Sea. Its capital is Zagreb...
n mother. Chiles also plays the
double bassThe double bass, also called the upright bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra. The name, "double bass," derives from the early use of the instrument to double—an octave lower where possible—the bass part written...
, as revealed when he dueted with
violinThe violin is a bowed string instrument with four strings usually tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest and highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which also includes the viola and cello....
ist
Nigel KennedyNigel Kennedy is an English violinist and violist.-Biography:Nigel Kennedy was born in Brighton, East Sussex, and comes from a musical lineage. His grandfather was Lauri Kennedy, a British-born musician and principal cellist with the BBC Symphony Orchestra who played with Fritz Kreisler, Jascha...
playing
Fever on
The One Show. On 7 May 2008 his co-presenter on
The One Show,
Christine BleakleyChristine Bleakley is a Northern Irish television presenter who is the co-presenter of The One Show on BBC One. She took part in BBC's Strictly Come Dancing in 2008.-Biography:...
, sang part of a song with Chiles accompanying on piano. Chiles also plays the organ at St Martin on occasions.
Chiles was one of several BBC personalities sent soiled toilet paper by post in February 2007. He said of the incident, "The smell is not something you want first thing in the morning."
External links