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Chris Tarrant
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Christopher John Tarrant OBE (born 10 October 1946, Reading, Berkshire) is an English radio broadcaster and television presenter, now best known for hosting the first version of the television game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in the United Kingdom.
Career
Educated at The King's School, Worcester and the University of Birmingham, Tarrant worked as a schoolteacher and also briefly as a researcher for the Central Office of Information before joining ATV as a newsreader.
Tarrant rose to prominence after becoming a co-host on Tiswas, a children's television show broadcast on a Saturday morning in 1974.
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Encyclopedia
Christopher John Tarrant OBE (born 10 October 1946, Reading, Berkshire) is an English radio broadcaster and television presenter, now best known for hosting the first version of the television game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in the United Kingdom.
Career
Educated at The King's School, Worcester and the University of Birmingham, Tarrant worked as a schoolteacher and also briefly as a researcher for the Central Office of Information before joining ATV as a newsreader.
Tarrant rose to prominence after becoming a co-host on Tiswas, a children's television show broadcast on a Saturday morning in 1974. In 1982, Tarrant hosted a short-lived Saturday evening show O.T.T., while was billed as an adult version of Tiswas and a stint on the breakfast television station TV-am. On 1 January 1993, when Thames Television disolved and was replaced by Carlton Television, Tarrant hosted the first programme of the franchise, A Carlton New Year.
Tarrant then created and hosted Everybody's Equal in 1989, although the programme came to an end in 1990. In 1993, Tarrant hosted Lose A Million, in which contestants started off with a million pounds and were required to loose it by aiming to incorrectly answer a set of questions. Ironically, years after the programme ended, Tarrant would go on to host Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, where the objective of the game is to do the complete opposite. In 1991 he hosted the second series of Cluedo, and later the UK edition of of Man O Man.
In 1998, Tarrant began to host and has since hosted popular teleivison quiz show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?. This is considered as his biggest break and most famous show he has presented. The show has went on to have series in tens of other countries. Tarrant developed catchphrases such as "But We Don't Want To Give You That" and "Final Answer" through the show, although Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? is the only show on which he uses them. It was confirmed by UKGameshows.com that Tarrant has been the regular host for at least one full series of more game shows than anyone else on British television, with sixteen different series to be his credit.
As well as game shows, Tarrant is the long-term host of Tarrant on TV, a programme which shows clips featuring a number of unusual television programmes from around the world. He has presented the show since 1990.
For many years Tarrant also presented the Breakfast show on London's 95.8 Capital FM, a show he hosted from 1987 until 2004. In July 2008 it was announced that he would return to the airwaves, hosting a weekly show for the GMG Radio network of stations including London's 102.2 Smooth Radio, Real Radio (Scotland) and the North West's Century Radio, beginning 26 July.
In January 2009, Tarrant began to host new show The Colour of Money (TV series).
Personal life
Tarrant met his second wife Ingrid Dupre-Walsh when they both worked for TV-am. The couple married in 1991, but divorced in 2007 when it was revealed that Tarrant had a "close" relationship with Fiona McKechnie, a schoolteacher and co-patron for Headway.
After a series of tabloid stories, on 18 September 2006 the couple announced that they were separating. The couple previously lived with their two children, daughter Sammy and son Toby in Esher, plus two children from Ingrid's previous marriage, Dexter and Fia, the latter a radio presenter with Reading 107 FM. Tarrant also has two children from a previous marriage to Sheila Tarrant, Helen and Jennifer. On 30 November 2006 Chris and Ingrid were interviewed separately on the Biography Channel and clips of it were shown on GMTV to talk about the downfall of their relationship. During this interview, Chris did not seem sorry about the break up; he was quoted as saying, "Well, I was a naughty boy" and said about Ingrid, "She wouldn't trust me with a pint of milk"; however, in other interviews he showed clear remorse.
In June 2000, Tarrant's River Thames launch boat the "Ben Gunn" was vandalised and burnt at its mooring in East Molesey.
Charity work
Tarrant's charity work, for which he received an OBE in 2004 includes: being an ambassador for the homeless charity, Centrepoint; Trustee/Patron of The New School at West Heath for disadvantaged children (the school previously being a private school for girls that the late Diana, Princess of Wales attended); patron of Milly's Fund, set up in memory of murdered Surrey teenager "Milly" Dowler; patron of the Phoenix Centre for children with special needs.
He was a patron of the Headway Thames Valley, until details of his affair with trustee Fiona McKechnie became public and he resigned.
He is also a patron of Wildlife Aid and does a lot of work to get animals rehabilitated.
Arrest
At approximately 10pm on 13 May 2007, Tarrant was arrested on suspicion of assault at an Indian restaurant and released on police bail. The incident took place at the MemSaab Restaurant in Maid Marian Way, Nottingham, where Tarrant, who had been joking with a couple dining at an adjacent table, threw an item of cutlery towards the man.
Tarrant admitted to the BBC that he did jokingly "lob" some cutlery onto the couple's table after asking them to leave him alone to discuss work with his colleagues. He said: "I've no idea what his [the accuser's] motives were - it genuinely makes no sense. I got back from the station at 1 am and to this minute I am completely bemused by what happened."
On 25 May 2007 he was formally cautioned by the police with regard to the incident.
As a result of this arrest, he was ranked number 99 on BBC Three's 'The Most Annoying People Of The Year 2007'. He was also made the central subject of most of the jokes on the episode of Have I Got News For You which came on the week after his arrest, which he was guest presenting.
Trivia
- Whilst he lived in a mini-van (registration 161 GLO), for six months in the school grounds where he taught, the postman would deliver mail to the car. A friend once sent him a letter addressed to 161 GLO, Sprules Road, London SE4 and the postman knew exactly where to find him.
- In exchange for a free publicity snap, he was given the number plate CHU 8B after his favourite fish - the chub.
- He featured in an advert for Brain Training on the Nintendo DS in which he suffers marital problems for forgetting their anniversary. He and his wife announced that they were to split on 18 September, a few weeks after the advert was aired.
- He was voted #38 in ITV's "TV's 50 Greatest Stars".
- Winner of the "Lifetime Achievement" 2006 UK comedy award.
See also
External links
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