Colin Murray
Encyclopedia
Colin Murray is a Northern Irish sports and music radio and television presenter. He is the current host of the BBC Television
show Match of the Day 2
on BBC Two
, and the BBC Radio 5 Live
shows 5 Live Sport
and Fighting Talk
, as well as a show on BBC Radio Ulster
. He has previously hosted regular shows on Channel 5 television and BBC Radio 1
. In 2007, Murray was named Music Broadcaster Of The Year at the Sony Radio Academy Awards
.
Born and raised in Dundonald
, east of Belfast
, Murray first trained and worked as a news journalist. With a passion for both music and sport, he later moved into music journalism and publishing, before making his national radio debut in 1999 on Radio 1 in a short spell co-hosting The Session music show. This was followed by a television debut in 2002 as one of six co-presenters on Channel 4
's short lived morning show RI:SE
. From 2003 onwards, Murray established himself as a music radio presenter on the weekday daytime Colin and Edith
show alongside Edith Bowman
.
In 2006 Murray began his first role on BBC Radio 5 Live hosting the sports themed Saturday morning comedy panel game Fighting Talk, and also began presenting Channel 5's live UEFA Cup
football coverage on midweek evenings. In 2006 he moved shows on Radio 1, departing Colin and Edith to front the late night weekday evening music vehicle, The Colin Murray Show. In 2008 he also began presenting The Late Show with Colin Murray, a once a week late night music show for Radio Ulster. In 2009 he left Radio 1 to take on the additional roles at 5 Live - hosting Kicking off with Colin Murray on Friday nights, and 5 Live Sport on Sunday afternoons. In 2010 he moved from presenting live football on Channel 5, to fronting the BBC's Match of the Day 2
Sunday night highlights show.
in Dundonald
in Castlereagh Borough (a suburb of the Greater Belfast
urban area in Northern Ireland
), and grew up in Dundonald's Ballybeen
estate. He was educated at the Regent House Grammar School
in Newtownards
, and later at Dundonald High School, leaving after GCSEs. Hyperactive since childhood, Murray was asked to leave the grammar school due to what was perceived by teachers as a tendency to disruption - always asking awkward questions or telling jokes - traits he later identified as ideal for his future career in presenting, and which he felt should really have been nurtured by teachers.
, before in 1994 moving to Toronto
, Canada, for a year, working on a fellowship for the Toronto Sun
. After returning from Toronto he moved into music journalism, writing for newspapers about rock and pop bands, including establishing a long standing column in the Irish Sunday People, before moving into music magazine business with a new title called BLANK. After Murray set it up and acted as co-publisher, Blank became the highest circulating music magazine in Ulster. After Blank was merged with another title, Murray left the magazine.
After Blank, Murray co-presented the weekly live music programme Session in Northern Ireland on BBC Radio 1
, with Donna Legge, broadcast just in Northern Ireland. Murray had initially thought the audition was for a show on BBC Radio Ulster. This was followed with a six month spell in 1999 presenting the main national programme The Session, from Tuesdays to Thursdays. Spells deputising for hosts of other major Radio 1 shows also followed.
By 2002 Murray's work in radio and television earned him an audition as one of six co-presenter of Channel 4
's new national breakfast television show, RI:SE
. Having initially auditioned as the entertainment presenter, Murray was instead was chosen as a news presenter. While at RI:SE he continued to co-host the evening session in Northern Ireland with Donna Legge one day a week, commuting between the Channel 4 studios near Heathrow and Northern Ireland. His time with RI:SE was brief and unhappy, with Murray later stating it "scared me off TV for a long time".
(his former co-host from RI:SE) to work together on Radio 1 presenting their own Colin and Edith
show. It began in September 2003 in the weekend late morning slot, but from March 2004 it was moved to the weekday afternoon slot. The partnership increased the listener figures to a decade high of 5.5 million.
In 2006 Murray became the new presenter of BBC Radio 5 Live
's comedy sports panel quiz show, Fighting Talk
, his first regular show on 5 Live. Broadcast live on Saturdays mornings, his first show was on 4 February. Also in February 2006, Murray became the anchor for Channel 5's midweek evening live European UEFA Cup
football television coverage, with former anchor John Barnes
acting as a roving reporter.
In 2006, Murray left the Radio 1 Colin and Edith show to start The Colin Murray Show, a new music show on the same station, from September, showcasing new and alternative music in the Mondays to Thursdays 10pm - Midnight slot, with Edith remaining in the lunchtime slot. Murray was inevitably compared with the late holder of the slot, John Peel
, with Murray stating "What I like is that it's always represented honesty, and never been influenced by what's supposed to be cool at the time. Peel played music he liked; I just play music I like". In 2007 there was a year on year increase in listeners to the slot of 160,000.
From February 2008 Murray also began presenting a weekly late night music show on BBC Radio Ulster
in Northern Ireland. After failing to find a suitable sound location, he actually presents the show from his own house, in his bedroom, drawing on his extensive music collection as well as new music downloaded onto iTunes
. It began as a Saturday night show, but later moved to Fridays.
on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons, in time for the start of the 2009/10 football season. The Friday slot is a weekend preview show, Kicking off with Colin Murray, while the Sunday show comprises six hours of live sports coverage. Kicking Off saw a close to 20 percent increase in listeners after its first year, according to RAJAR figures. Having taken a self-imposed two months holiday from work before starting at 5 Live, the 5 Live shows had to start without him while he recovered from a bout of H1N1 swine flu.
In 2010 Murray left Channel 5's football team to replace Adrian Chiles
as presenter of the BBC's Match of the Day 2
football highlights television programme, broadcast on Sunday nights on BBC Two
as a companion show to the flagship Saturday night Match of the Day
show on BBC One. He also hosted the BBC Two nightly highlights show for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
hosted in South Africa through June and July.
and the European Poker Tour
for Channel 5. From January 2010, Murray has also presented the BBC's televised coverage of the annual BDO World Darts Championship
, alongside Bobby George
. In music television, Murray has co-hosted Glastonbury Festival
coverage for both BBC Three (and Radio 1), presented a late-night music show Ear Candy on Channel 4
, under the 4music
strand, and guest presented the BBC music show Top of the Pops
. He has also presented ITV2
's coverage of the Brit Awards
. In documentary television, in 2010 Murray co-wrote and presented the BBC Two
documentary Davis
v Taylor
: The '85 Black Ball Final, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the 1985 World Snooker Championship final
.
As a game show presenter, Murray has co-presented the Channel 4 challenge show Born Sloppy with Sara Cox
, fronted the Soduku
based game show Street-Cred Sudoku broadcast on UKTV G2 in 2005. and the Channel Five quiz show Payday
in 2007. Other TV work has included presenting shows on BBC Three
such as EastEnders Revealed, a companion show to the popular soap series. As a narrator, Murray has appeared on the BBC television series Can't Take It With You, and Boys Will Be Girls on E4. He has also provided the narration for the gameshow Scream if You Know the Answer!
on Watch
, alongside host Duncan James
.
As a celebrity contestant/participant on various television shows, Murray has appeared as Mark Knopfler
on Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes
in 2005, performed in Comic Relief does Fame Academy
in 2007, competed in the Celebrity MasterChef in 2009, and been the Dictionary Corner guest on the Channel 4
game show Countdown
.
newspaper. In 2005 Murray created the radio documentary, The Trouble With Drugs. In October 2009, Murray published his first book, A Random History of Football, ISBN 9781409112907, through Orion Publishing, a compendium of random and relatively unknown stories about football. In 2007, Murray directed magician Chris Cox
's Edinburgh Fringe Festival show, Everything Happens for a Reason. Murray has also compèred
at the Leeds Festival
since 2004. In 2003 he co-hosted the Kerrang! Awards with Edith Bowman.
Outside the UK, Murray has been a weekly fixture on The Fan 590's breakfast programme in Toronto, Canada; he appears on Fridays via ISDN from the UK (formerly London, now Salford as of 25 November 2011) with frequent FT panelist Greg Brady
and Jim Lang wherein he discusses the week's big sporting topics both in the UK and in North America, as well as the weekend's English Premier League action.
Murray has been a fan of Liverpool F.C.
since childhood. He got five stars
tattooed on his arm when Liverpool won the European Cup
for the fifth time. He has also stated he is a Chester F.C. fan after falling in love with the club following their rise from closure and fronted by the fans. He was guest of honour at the end of season awards. On his role as both a football presenter and a fan, Murray said in 2009 that "The biggest stick I get when I'm presenting football is from Liverpool fans", and in 2010 "I like a laugh but I am serious also about football and the impartiality required to respect all football fans." Murray is also the Irish Football Association
's Football for All ambassador.
Whilst living in Toronto
, Canada, he became a supporter of the baseball
team Toronto Blue Jays
and a fan of Major League Baseball
in general, and has since spent his annual summer holidays in North America watching MLB games.
During the pre-show sound check of the 12 December 2009 episode of Fighting Talk, Murray said that he had quit smoking
six weeks earlier.
. In the 2007 Sony Awards
he was named Music Broadcaster Of The Year,in 2005 awards he was given the Feature Award for a documentary he made titled The Trouble With Drugs, while in 2011 he took gold for best sport program Fighting Talk
.
In 2002 Murray was named IPR Northern Ireland Entertainment Journalist of the Year, for his long running music column in the Irish Sunday People.
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
show Match of the Day 2
Match of the Day 2
Match of the Day 2 is a football highlights programme shown on BBC Two in the United Kingdom...
on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
, and the BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
shows 5 Live Sport
5 Live Sport
5 Live Sport is the flagship sports programme on BBC Radio Five Live and part of the BBC Sport division. It broadcasts daily, 7pm - 10.30pm Monday - Thursday, 7pm -10pm Friday, 12noon - 6pm Weekends...
and Fighting Talk
Fighting Talk
Fighting Talk is a topical sports show broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live during the English football season. Its first series aired in October 2003, and was presented by Johnny Vaughan. The second series featured Christian O'Connell. It is currently hosted by Colin Murray and is aired on Saturday...
, as well as a show on BBC Radio Ulster
BBC Radio Ulster
BBC Radio Ulster is one of two Northern Irish BBC radio stations, the other being BBC Radio Foyle located in the city of Derry. BBC Radio Ulster is located at Broadcasting House in the Ormeau Avenue area of Belfast city centre...
. He has previously hosted regular shows on Channel 5 television and BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
. In 2007, Murray was named Music Broadcaster Of The Year at the Sony Radio Academy Awards
Sony Radio Academy Awards
The 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...
.
Born and raised in Dundonald
Dundonald
Dundonald is a large settlement in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies east of Belfast and is often deemed to be a suburb of the city. It includes the large housing estate of Ballybeen, and many new housing estates have emerged in the past ten years....
, east of Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Murray first trained and worked as a news journalist. With a passion for both music and sport, he later moved into music journalism and publishing, before making his national radio debut in 1999 on Radio 1 in a short spell co-hosting The Session music show. This was followed by a television debut in 2002 as one of six co-presenters on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's short lived morning show RI:SE
RI:SE
RI:SE was a breakfast television show made by Princess Productions in collaboration with BSkyB for Channel 4 in the UK. It was scheduled to replace The Big Breakfast after declining ratings. It launched on 29 April 2002...
. From 2003 onwards, Murray established himself as a music radio presenter on the weekday daytime Colin and Edith
Colin and Edith
Colin and Edith was a radio show broadcast on BBC Radio 1 until August 2006, hosted by radio personalities Edith Bowman and Colin Murray. The show began in 2003 and was scheduled on the station's weekend morning shift. In April 2004, following the departure of Mark and Lard, the show was...
show alongside Edith Bowman
Edith Bowman
Edith Eleanor Bowman is a Scottish music critic, radio DJ and television presenter. She is mostly known for hosting the weekday afternoon show and from September 2009 weekend morning on BBC Radio 1 and for presenting a variety of music related television shows and music...
.
In 2006 Murray began his first role on BBC Radio 5 Live hosting the sports themed Saturday morning comedy panel game Fighting Talk, and also began presenting Channel 5's live UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
football coverage on midweek evenings. In 2006 he moved shows on Radio 1, departing Colin and Edith to front the late night weekday evening music vehicle, The Colin Murray Show. In 2008 he also began presenting The Late Show with Colin Murray, a once a week late night music show for Radio Ulster. In 2009 he left Radio 1 to take on the additional roles at 5 Live - hosting Kicking off with Colin Murray on Friday nights, and 5 Live Sport on Sunday afternoons. In 2010 he moved from presenting live football on Channel 5, to fronting the BBC's Match of the Day 2
Match of the Day 2
Match of the Day 2 is a football highlights programme shown on BBC Two in the United Kingdom...
Sunday night highlights show.
Early life
Murray was born in 1977 in the Ulster HospitalUlster Hospital
The Ulster Hospital is a hospital in Dundonald in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is within the townland of Ballyregan, beside the A20 road....
in Dundonald
Dundonald
Dundonald is a large settlement in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies east of Belfast and is often deemed to be a suburb of the city. It includes the large housing estate of Ballybeen, and many new housing estates have emerged in the past ten years....
in Castlereagh Borough (a suburb of the Greater Belfast
Greater Belfast
Greater Belfast is an area surrounding and including Belfast in Northern Ireland.It includes Belfast and parts of the North Down, Lisburn, Castlereagh and Newtownabbey district council areas. Greater Belfast is the largest urban area in Northern Ireland, and second largest in Ireland...
urban area in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
), and grew up in Dundonald's Ballybeen
Ballybeen
Ballybeen , also known as Ballybeen Housing Estate, is the second largest housing estate in Northern Ireland. It is within the townland of Ballybeen and Carrowreagh all inside the town of Dundonald on the outskirts of east Belfast — between the Newtownards Road and Comber Road. Started in 1963, and...
estate. He was educated at the Regent House Grammar School
Regent House Grammar School
Regent House Grammar School is a co-ed voluntary grammar school situated in Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland. It comprises two parts: the preparatory department, known as "the Prep" and the main school itself...
in Newtownards
Newtownards
Newtownards is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies at the most northern tip of Strangford Lough, 10 miles east of Belfast, on the Ards Peninsula. Newtownards is the largest town in the Borough of Ards. According to the 2001 Census, it has a population of 27,821 people in...
, and later at Dundonald High School, leaving after GCSEs. Hyperactive since childhood, Murray was asked to leave the grammar school due to what was perceived by teachers as a tendency to disruption - always asking awkward questions or telling jokes - traits he later identified as ideal for his future career in presenting, and which he felt should really have been nurtured by teachers.
Early career
After leaving school, Murray went on to study journalism full time. He started work as a news journalist, working both in Northern Ireland as a trainee for The News LetterThe News Letter
The News Letter is one of Northern Ireland's main daily newspapers, published Monday to Saturday. It is the oldest English language general daily newspaper still in publication in the world, having first been printed in 1737....
, before in 1994 moving to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada, for a year, working on a fellowship for the Toronto Sun
Toronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
. After returning from Toronto he moved into music journalism, writing for newspapers about rock and pop bands, including establishing a long standing column in the Irish Sunday People, before moving into music magazine business with a new title called BLANK. After Murray set it up and acted as co-publisher, Blank became the highest circulating music magazine in Ulster. After Blank was merged with another title, Murray left the magazine.
After Blank, Murray co-presented the weekly live music programme Session in Northern Ireland on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
, with Donna Legge, broadcast just in Northern Ireland. Murray had initially thought the audition was for a show on BBC Radio Ulster. This was followed with a six month spell in 1999 presenting the main national programme The Session, from Tuesdays to Thursdays. Spells deputising for hosts of other major Radio 1 shows also followed.
By 2002 Murray's work in radio and television earned him an audition as one of six co-presenter of Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's new national breakfast television show, RI:SE
RI:SE
RI:SE was a breakfast television show made by Princess Productions in collaboration with BSkyB for Channel 4 in the UK. It was scheduled to replace The Big Breakfast after declining ratings. It launched on 29 April 2002...
. Having initially auditioned as the entertainment presenter, Murray was instead was chosen as a news presenter. While at RI:SE he continued to co-host the evening session in Northern Ireland with Donna Legge one day a week, commuting between the Channel 4 studios near Heathrow and Northern Ireland. His time with RI:SE was brief and unhappy, with Murray later stating it "scared me off TV for a long time".
Colin and Edith show
By 2003, Murray had teamed up with Edith BowmanEdith Bowman
Edith Eleanor Bowman is a Scottish music critic, radio DJ and television presenter. She is mostly known for hosting the weekday afternoon show and from September 2009 weekend morning on BBC Radio 1 and for presenting a variety of music related television shows and music...
(his former co-host from RI:SE) to work together on Radio 1 presenting their own Colin and Edith
Colin and Edith
Colin and Edith was a radio show broadcast on BBC Radio 1 until August 2006, hosted by radio personalities Edith Bowman and Colin Murray. The show began in 2003 and was scheduled on the station's weekend morning shift. In April 2004, following the departure of Mark and Lard, the show was...
show. It began in September 2003 in the weekend late morning slot, but from March 2004 it was moved to the weekday afternoon slot. The partnership increased the listener figures to a decade high of 5.5 million.
In 2006 Murray became the new presenter of BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
's comedy sports panel quiz show, Fighting Talk
Fighting Talk
Fighting Talk is a topical sports show broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live during the English football season. Its first series aired in October 2003, and was presented by Johnny Vaughan. The second series featured Christian O'Connell. It is currently hosted by Colin Murray and is aired on Saturday...
, his first regular show on 5 Live. Broadcast live on Saturdays mornings, his first show was on 4 February. Also in February 2006, Murray became the anchor for Channel 5's midweek evening live European UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
football television coverage, with former anchor John Barnes
John Barnes (footballer)
John Charles Bryan Barnes MBE is an English football manager and former player.During his playing career, Barnes had successful periods at Watford and Liverpool in the 1980s and 1990s, winning the First Division twice, the FA Cup twice, and playing for England 79 times...
acting as a roving reporter.
In 2006, Murray left the Radio 1 Colin and Edith show to start The Colin Murray Show, a new music show on the same station, from September, showcasing new and alternative music in the Mondays to Thursdays 10pm - Midnight slot, with Edith remaining in the lunchtime slot. Murray was inevitably compared with the late holder of the slot, John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
, with Murray stating "What I like is that it's always represented honesty, and never been influenced by what's supposed to be cool at the time. Peel played music he liked; I just play music I like". In 2007 there was a year on year increase in listeners to the slot of 160,000.
From February 2008 Murray also began presenting a weekly late night music show on BBC Radio Ulster
BBC Radio Ulster
BBC Radio Ulster is one of two Northern Irish BBC radio stations, the other being BBC Radio Foyle located in the city of Derry. BBC Radio Ulster is located at Broadcasting House in the Ormeau Avenue area of Belfast city centre...
in Northern Ireland. After failing to find a suitable sound location, he actually presents the show from his own house, in his bedroom, drawing on his extensive music collection as well as new music downloaded onto iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
. It began as a Saturday night show, but later moved to Fridays.
After Radio 1
In 2009 Murray resigned from his Radio 1 late night show, to expand his work at BBC Radio 5 Live, becoming the new presenter of 5 Live Sport5 Live Sport
5 Live Sport is the flagship sports programme on BBC Radio Five Live and part of the BBC Sport division. It broadcasts daily, 7pm - 10.30pm Monday - Thursday, 7pm -10pm Friday, 12noon - 6pm Weekends...
on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons, in time for the start of the 2009/10 football season. The Friday slot is a weekend preview show, Kicking off with Colin Murray, while the Sunday show comprises six hours of live sports coverage. Kicking Off saw a close to 20 percent increase in listeners after its first year, according to RAJAR figures. Having taken a self-imposed two months holiday from work before starting at 5 Live, the 5 Live shows had to start without him while he recovered from a bout of H1N1 swine flu.
In 2010 Murray left Channel 5's football team to replace Adrian Chiles
Adrian Chiles
Adrian Chiles is a British television and radio presenter, currently working for ITV Sport presenting football coverage....
as presenter of the BBC's Match of the Day 2
Match of the Day 2
Match of the Day 2 is a football highlights programme shown on BBC Two in the United Kingdom...
football highlights television programme, broadcast on Sunday nights on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
as a companion show to the flagship Saturday night Match of the Day
Match of the Day
Match of the Day is the BBC's main football television programme. Typically, it is shown on BBC One on Saturday evenings during the English football season, showing highlights of the day's matches in English football's top division, the Premier League...
show on BBC One. He also hosted the BBC Two nightly highlights show for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
hosted in South Africa through June and July.
Miscellaneous television
In sports television, Murray has also presented coverage of late-night American FootballNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
and the European Poker Tour
European Poker Tour
The Pokerstars European Poker Tour is a series of poker tournaments similar to those in the World Poker Tour , created by John Duthie, winner of the inaugural Poker Million tournament. It began in 2004 as part of the worldwide explosion in Texas Hold 'em popularity...
for Channel 5. From January 2010, Murray has also presented the BBC's televised coverage of the annual BDO World Darts Championship
BDO World Darts Championship
The BDO World Darts Championship is a world championship competition in darts, organised by the British Darts Organisation . It began in 1978, and was the only world championship tournament until 1994...
, alongside Bobby George
Bobby George
Robert Francis George is an English darts player and presenter. He is widely recognised as one of the game's biggest personalities, known for his flamboyant entrances in which the "King of Darts" makes his way to the stage bedecked in jewellery, wearing a crown and cloak and holding a candelabra...
. In music television, Murray has co-hosted Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
coverage for both BBC Three (and Radio 1), presented a late-night music show Ear Candy on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, under the 4music
4Music
4Music is a music and entertainment channel in the United Kingdom and available on some digital television providers in the Republic of Ireland - its web component can be found at with its own and pages. It is the only channel within the Box Television Network to be branded under Channel 4 and...
strand, and guest presented the BBC music show Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
. He has also presented ITV2
ITV2
ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms. The channel has the...
's coverage of the Brit Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
. In documentary television, in 2010 Murray co-wrote and presented the BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
documentary Davis
Steve Davis
Steve Davis, OBE is an English professional snooker player. He has won more professional titles in the sport than any other player, including six World Championships during the 1980s, when he was the world number one for seven years and became the sport's first millionaire...
v Taylor
Dennis Taylor
Dennis Taylor is a retired snooker player, and current BBC snooker commentator. Winner of two ranking events, he is best known for winning the 1985 World Championship, beating World number one Steve Davis on the final black in one of the sport's most memorable finals...
: The '85 Black Ball Final, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the 1985 World Snooker Championship final
1985 World Snooker Championship final
The 1985 World Snooker Championship final, commonly known as the black ball final, was played on the weekend of 27/28 April 1985 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was contested between defending World Champion Steve Davis and Northern Irishman Dennis Taylor, appearing in his second...
.
As a game show presenter, Murray has co-presented the Channel 4 challenge show Born Sloppy with Sara Cox
Sara Cox
Sara Cox , known as "Coxy", is an English TV presenter and radio DJ, most well known for presenting the breakfast show on BBC Radio 1 between 2000 and 2003...
, fronted the Soduku
Soduku
Sodoku is a bacterial zoonotic disease. It is caused by outnumbered spirochaete Spirillum minus. It is a form of rat-bite fever .-Causes:...
based game show Street-Cred Sudoku broadcast on UKTV G2 in 2005. and the Channel Five quiz show Payday
Payday (TV series)
Payday is a British game show on Five, presented by Colin Murray....
in 2007. Other TV work has included presenting shows on BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
such as EastEnders Revealed, a companion show to the popular soap series. As a narrator, Murray has appeared on the BBC television series Can't Take It With You, and Boys Will Be Girls on E4. He has also provided the narration for the gameshow Scream if You Know the Answer!
Scream if You Know the Answer!
Scream! If You Know the Answer is a British game show presented by Duncan James and narrated by Colin Murray. The games are simple general knowledge, but they are played on the rides at theme park Thorpe Park...
on Watch
Watch (TV channel)
Watch is a general entertainment channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom and Ireland, as part of the UKTV network. The channel launched on 7 October 2008 on satellite through Sky and on cable primarily through Virgin Media.-History:...
, alongside host Duncan James
Duncan James
Duncan Matthew James Inglis is an English singer, actor and television presenter. He is best known as a member of the boyband Blue.-Early life:...
.
As a celebrity contestant/participant on various television shows, Murray has appeared as Mark Knopfler
Mark Knopfler
Mark Freuder Knopfler, OBE is a Scottish-born British guitarist, singer, songwriter, record producer and film score composer. He is best known as the lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the British rock band Dire Straits, which he co-founded in 1977...
on Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes
Stars In Their Eyes
Stars in Their Eyes is a British television talent show that ran on Saturdays nights from 21 July 1990 until 23 December 2006 in which contestants impersonate showbiz stars...
in 2005, performed in Comic Relief does Fame Academy
Comic Relief Does Fame Academy
Comic Relief Does Fame Academy is a spin-off of the original Fame Academy show where celebrities sing as students of the Academy. The programme was launched in 2003 to help raise money for the charities supported by Comic Relief, with the final of the show occurring on Red Nose Day...
in 2007, competed in the Celebrity MasterChef in 2009, and been the Dictionary Corner guest on the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
game show Countdown
Countdown (game show)
Countdown is a British game show involving word and number puzzles. It is produced by ITV Studios and broadcast on Channel 4. It is presented by Jeff Stelling, assisted by Rachel Riley, with regular lexicographer Susie Dent. It was the first programme to be aired on Channel 4, and over sixty-five...
.
Other work
Murray has continued his journalism work into his presenting career by writing a monthly 'radio diary' piece for The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
newspaper. In 2005 Murray created the radio documentary, The Trouble With Drugs. In October 2009, Murray published his first book, A Random History of Football, ISBN 9781409112907, through Orion Publishing, a compendium of random and relatively unknown stories about football. In 2007, Murray directed magician Chris Cox
Chris Cox (Mind Reader)
Chris Cox is an award winning, self-proclaimed mind reader. He is also the producer for Matt Edmondson on BBC Radio 1; prior to this he was the assistant producer on The Chris Moyles Show....
's Edinburgh Fringe Festival show, Everything Happens for a Reason. Murray has also compèred
Master of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
at the Leeds Festival
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm...
since 2004. In 2003 he co-hosted the Kerrang! Awards with Edith Bowman.
Outside the UK, Murray has been a weekly fixture on The Fan 590's breakfast programme in Toronto, Canada; he appears on Fridays via ISDN from the UK (formerly London, now Salford as of 25 November 2011) with frequent FT panelist Greg Brady
Greg Brady (broadcaster)
Greg Brady is a Canadian sports talk radio host on Sportsnet 590 The FAN, and is a regular pundit scheduled on the docket of BBC Five Live show Fighting Talk and holds the record for most wins on the show.-Biography:...
and Jim Lang wherein he discusses the week's big sporting topics both in the UK and in North America, as well as the weekend's English Premier League action.
Personal life
Murray has two sisters and a brother.Murray has been a fan of Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
since childhood. He got five stars
Star (football crest)
In association football, some national and club sides include one or more stars as part of the crest appearing on their shirt, to represent important trophies the team has previously won. Sometimes this is a unilateral decision by the team concerned rather than a privilege earned and sanctioned...
tattooed on his arm when Liverpool won the European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
for the fifth time. He has also stated he is a Chester F.C. fan after falling in love with the club following their rise from closure and fronted by the fans. He was guest of honour at the end of season awards. On his role as both a football presenter and a fan, Murray said in 2009 that "The biggest stick I get when I'm presenting football is from Liverpool fans", and in 2010 "I like a laugh but I am serious also about football and the impartiality required to respect all football fans." Murray is also the Irish Football Association
Irish Football Association
The Irish Football Association is the organising body for association football in Northern Ireland, and was historically the governing body for Ireland...
's Football for All ambassador.
Whilst living in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada, he became a supporter of the baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
and a fan of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
in general, and has since spent his annual summer holidays in North America watching MLB games.
During the pre-show sound check of the 12 December 2009 episode of Fighting Talk, Murray said that he had quit smoking
Smoking
Smoking is a practice in which a substance, most commonly tobacco or cannabis, is burned and the smoke is tasted or inhaled. This is primarily practised as a route of administration for recreational drug use, as combustion releases the active substances in drugs such as nicotine and makes them...
six weeks earlier.
Awards
Murray has won three Gold Sony Radio Academy AwardsSony Radio Academy Awards
The 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 the 2007 Sony Awards
25th Sony Radio Academy Awards
The 25th Sony Radio Academy Awards were held on 30 April 2007 at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane in London.There were 30 categories of award and three special awards.-Programme awards and winners:-Personality awards and winners:...
he was named Music Broadcaster Of The Year,in 2005 awards he was given the Feature Award for a documentary he made titled The Trouble With Drugs, while in 2011 he took gold for best sport program Fighting Talk
Fighting Talk
Fighting Talk is a topical sports show broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live during the English football season. Its first series aired in October 2003, and was presented by Johnny Vaughan. The second series featured Christian O'Connell. It is currently hosted by Colin Murray and is aired on Saturday...
.
In 2002 Murray was named IPR Northern Ireland Entertainment Journalist of the Year, for his long running music column in the Irish Sunday People.