Gordon Astley
Encyclopedia
Gordon Astley was a presenter on BBC
Southern Counties Radio until 9 Feb 2009.
He was also presenter on the final series of the children's show Tiswas
in 1982 alongside Sally James. Although brought in to replace former chief presenter Chris Tarrant
, who'd left to present O.T.T.
, Astley himself said he was there to take over James's old role.
He has also been on various radio stations in the Midlands. He was the Breakfast Presenter at Mercia Sound in Coventry when it launched in 1980 and he was also a presenter at Beacon Radio & BBC WM
, where he presented the Weekday Mid-Morning show until 1994, when he first joined BBC Southern Counties Radio
. He also presented a magic and mindreading show in Atlanta, Georgia
He made a brief return to the Midlands in the late 1990s, when he took over the late night show on BBC WM
. This was carried on various BBC Local Radio
stations in the Midlands.
He has been a radio presenter both in Britain and America for over thirty years. Other credits include being a regular panelist on Cheggers Plays Pop
in the late seventies, Play Away
, Play School and It's a Knockout
. He is also a motivational speaker
, professional magician and a member of The Magic Circle
.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Southern Counties Radio until 9 Feb 2009.
He was also presenter on the final series of the children's show Tiswas
Tiswas
Tiswas was a Saturday morning children's British television series which ran from 5 January 1974 to 3 April 1982 and was produced for the ITV network by ATV Network Limited....
in 1982 alongside Sally James. Although brought in to replace former chief presenter Chris Tarrant
Chris Tarrant
Christopher John "Chris" Tarrant, OBE is an English radio and television broadcaster, now best known for hosting the first version of the television game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in the United Kingdom and later Ireland, as the two national versions of the show merged in 2002.Chris...
, who'd left to present O.T.T.
O.T.T.
O.T.T. was a late-night adult version of the anarchic ATV children's show Tiswas, but made by its ITV franchise successor Central Television. It was broadcast at 11.00pm on Saturday nights for one series in 1982. O.T.T. was created and presented by Chris Tarrant, and also starred ex-Tiswasians John...
, Astley himself said he was there to take over James's old role.
He has also been on various radio stations in the Midlands. He was the Breakfast Presenter at Mercia Sound in Coventry when it launched in 1980 and he was also a presenter at Beacon Radio & BBC WM
BBC WM
BBC WM is the BBC Local Radio service for the West Midlands, South Staffordshire, north Worcestershire and north Warwickshire, operated by BBC Birmingham. Launched on 9 November 1970 as BBC Radio Birmingham, it broadcasts from central Birmingham on 95.6 FM, DAB and on the internet...
, where he presented the Weekday Mid-Morning show until 1994, when he first joined BBC Southern Counties Radio
BBC Southern Counties Radio
BBC Southern Counties Radio was the BBC Local Radio service for the English counties of Surrey and Sussex. The station also covered a large part of North-East Hampshire. It was the first BBC Local Radio station to introduce a controversial all-speech format...
. He also presented a magic and mindreading show in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
He made a brief return to the Midlands in the late 1990s, when he took over the late night show on BBC WM
BBC WM
BBC WM is the BBC Local Radio service for the West Midlands, South Staffordshire, north Worcestershire and north Warwickshire, operated by BBC Birmingham. Launched on 9 November 1970 as BBC Radio Birmingham, it broadcasts from central Birmingham on 95.6 FM, DAB and on the internet...
. This was carried on various BBC Local Radio
BBC Local Radio
BBC Local Radio is the BBC's regional radio service for England and the Channel Islands, consisting of 40 stations. They cover a variety of areas with some serving a city and surrounding areas, for example BBC Radio Manchester; a county, for example BBC Radio Norfolk; an administrative region for...
stations in the Midlands.
He has been a radio presenter both in Britain and America for over thirty years. Other credits include being a regular panelist on Cheggers Plays Pop
Cheggers Plays Pop
Cheggers Plays Pop was a British children's television show broadcast from 10 April 1978 to 7 November 1986. The show's format consisted of a series of physical and mental challenges undertaken by two teams of children representing their respective schools, together with studio performances by...
in the late seventies, Play Away
Play Away
Play Away was a sister programme to Play School in the UK, aimed at slightly older children. It ran from 1971 until 1984. While Play School had a more gentle, intimate feel, featuring just two presenters in a studio with the usual collection of toys and pets, Play Away was much more lively,...
, Play School and It's a Knockout
It's a Knockout
It's a Knockout was adapted from the French show Intervilles. It ran between from 7 August 1966 to 25 December 1988 on BBC1, 28 May 1990 on ITV, 3 August 1991 to 24 December 1994 on S4C and from 3 September 1999 to 6 January 2001 on Channel 5, produced by Richard Hearsey and Ronin Entertainment...
. He is also a motivational speaker
Motivational speaker
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
, professional magician and a member of The Magic Circle
The Magic Circle
The Magic Circle is a British organisation, founded in London in 1905, dedicated to promoting and advancing the art of magic.- History :The Magic Circle was founded in 1905 after a meeting of 23 amateur and professional magicians at London's Pinoli's Restaurant...
.