Nicholas Andrew Argyll Campbell (born 10 April 1961) is a
ScottishScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
radioRadio is the transmission of signals by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and
televisionTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
presenter and
journalistA journalist is a person who practises journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current events, trends, issues, and people while striving for viewpoints that are not biased.Reporters are one type of journalist...
. He is known for his time presenting on programmes such as the consumer affairs programme
WatchdogWatchdog is a BBC television series that investigates viewers' reports of problematic experiences with traders, retailers, and other companies around the UK...
. He also presented the gameshow
Wheel of FortuneWheel of Fortune is a British television game show which ran from 19 July 1988 to 21 December 2001, produced by Scottish Television for the ITV network. It was hosted by Nicky Campbell, Bradley Walsh, John Leslie and Paul Hendy. Co-hosts were Angela Ekaette, Carol Smillie, Jenny Powell and Terri...
from 1988 to 1996 and currently presents both the BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast programme and BBC One's flagship faith and ethics show
The Big QuestionsThe Big Questions is a faith and ethics television programme presented by Nicky Campbell. It is currently broadcast live on BBC One between 10:00am and 11:00am on Sunday, replacing Heaven & Earth as the BBC's flagship religious programme....
.
Biography
Campbell was born in
EdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland. It is the second largest Scottish city, after Glasgow, and the seventh-most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas....
,
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. He was adopted as a four-day old baby, and was educated at the
independent schoolAn independent school is a school which is independent in terms of its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some...
Edinburgh AcademyThe Edinburgh Academy is an independent school. It is self-governed and financed, though it remains subject to inspection by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education most recently in 2006....
. His adoptive mother was a psychiatric social worker and his adoptive father a publisher of maps.
After graduating from the
University of AberdeenThe University of Aberdeen is an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland. It is the fifth oldest university in what is now the United Kingdom, and in the wider English-speaking world....
with a degree in
historyHistory is the study of the human past, with special attention to the written record. Scholars who write about history are called historians. It is a field of research which uses a narrative to examine and analyse the sequence of events, and it often attempts to investigate objectively the patterns...
, he toyed with ideas of becoming an
actorAn actor or actress is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and got involved in commercial production for radio in order to gain his
EquityEquity is the trade union for actors, stage managers and models in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1930 by a group of West End performers....
card. At university, his best friend had been the actor
Iain GlenIain Glen is a Scottish film and stage actor.Glen was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He trained at RADA where he won the Bancroft Gold Medal. He was married to Susannah Harker from 1993 to 2004. They have one son, Finlay...
. He worked at
Northsound RadioNorthsound Radio was the name for the original Northsound Radio station, broadcast from Aberdeen, Scotland to the north-east of Scotland. In 1995, the station split to become two commercial local radio stations.- History :...
in
AberdeenAberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city and one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. It has an official population estimate of .Nicknames include the Granite City, the Grey City and the Silver City with the Golden Sands...
from 1981 to 1985, first as a
jingleA jingle is a memorable slogan, set to an engaging melody, mainly broadcast on radio and sometimes on television commercials.- History :The jingle had no definitive debut: its infiltration of the radio was more of an evolutionary process than a sudden innovation...
writer, before going on to host the breakfast show.
He worked at
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
station
Capital Radio95.8 Capital FM is a popular London local radio station owned by the Global Radio group.-Early years:This local radio station for London, which was based on the first two floors of the Euston Tower, was originally named Capital Radio, and was launched by then-chairman Richard Attenborough at 5:00...
from 1986-87 and joined
BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the BBC 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 or interviews. It is aimed...
in 1987, presenting a weekday night show from 10pm-midnight. In early 1988, he took over the weekend early morning show from 6-8am from
Simon MayoSimon Andrew Hicks Mayo is an English radio presenter, who has worked for BBC Radio since 1981. Mayo has been presenter of a BBC Radio Five Live weekday afternoon programme since May 2001....
and in October 1988 he presented the Monday-Thursday late-evening music and interview show which he named
Into The Night, which went out from 10pm-midnight. Guests included political figures, with Campbell interviewing
John MajorSir John Major, KG, CH, ACIB , is a former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and former Leader of the Conservative Party. He held these posts from 1990 to 1997....
in 1991 after
Conservative PartyThe Conservative and Unionist Party, more commonly known as the Conservatives, the Conservative Party, or Tory Party is a conservative political party in the United Kingdom...
chairman
Chris PattenChristopher Francis Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes, CH, PC is a prominent British Conservative politician and a Patron of the Tory Reform Group....
recommended the show to the Prime Minister when Radio 1 sent an invitation to No.10. He was also regularly joined by
Frankie HowerdFrankie Howerd OBE , was a distinctive English comedian and comic actor whose career spanned six decades.-Biography:...
in the last years of the comedian's life. In August 1993, he also took over a Sunday morning show from 10am-1pm, following the on-air resignation of
Dave Lee TravisDave Lee Travis also known professionally as DLT, is a British radio presenter, best known for his career on BBC Radio 1.-Early life:...
.
Campbell left the network briefly in October 1993 to care for his sick wife. In early 1994, he took over the weekday drivetime show from 4-7pm, and in 1995 he took over the afternoon show from 2-4pm. Campbell attracted a large audience, and when Radio 2 wanted a replacement for
Jimmy YoungSir Jimmy Young CBE is a well-known former singer, British disc jockey and radio interviewer.-Early life:The son of a baker, he attended East Dean Grammar School...
, he revealed that he was the BBC's choice and detailed a series of meetings between himself and the controller of Radio 2. However, the BBC later claimed that Campbell had initiated the meetings himself, and his public revelations prompted the wrath of
Greg DykeGregory Dyke is a journalist and broadcaster. He was Director-General of the BBC from January 2000 until 29 January 2004 when he resigned following heavy criticism of the BBC's news reporting process in the Hutton Inquiry.-Early years:...
.
Campbell presented the British version (produced by
Scottish TelevisionScottish Television is Scotland's largest ITV franchisee, and has held the ITV franchise for Central Scotland since 31 August 1957. It is the second oldest ITV franchise still active...
for the
ITVITV is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters, set up under the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC. ITV is the oldest commercial television network in the UK...
network) of
Wheel of FortuneWheel of Fortune is a British television game show which ran from 19 July 1988 to 21 December 2001, produced by Scottish Television for the ITV network. It was hosted by Nicky Campbell, Bradley Walsh, John Leslie and Paul Hendy. Co-hosts were Angela Ekaette, Carol Smillie, Jenny Powell and Terri...
from 1988 to 1995, and presented
Top of the PopsTop 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. It was traditionally shown every Thursday evening on BBC1, before being moved to Fridays in 1996, and then moved to Sundays on BBC...
regularly from 1988 to 1991 and again from 1994 to 1997. In the 1990s Campbell fronted the regional discussion series
Central WeekendCentral Weekend is a British television debate show which ran from 1986 to 2001. Known for the confrontational nature of its studio audience and topics, it was presented for many years by Nicky Campbell...
on Central Television in the
English MidlandsThe English Midlands, or the Midlands is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
and Carlton Live in London with Richard Littlejohn and then Andrew Neil.
Campbell left
BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the BBC 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 or interviews. It is aimed...
in October 1997 and joined BBC Radio 5 Live when offered the job by
Roger MoseyRoger Mosey is a British broadcasting executive who is currently working as the BBC's Director of London 2012 Olympic Games coverage....
the station's head, the news and sport network. He presented the mid-morning programme on 5 Live for over 5 years before replacing
Julian WorrickerJulian Worricker is a British journalist, currently working as a relief presenter on BBC News, the corporation's 24 hour rolling news channel. Until September 2006 he also presented a Sunday morning current affairs programme on BBC Radio 5 Live.Worricker was educated at Epsom College, he went on...
in the breakfast slot in January 2003, co-presenting initially with
Victoria DerbyshireVictoria Derbyshire is a journalist and radio broadcaster who currently presents the mid-morning weekday programme on BBC Radio 5 Live between 10am and 1pm.-Career:...
. Since January 2004 he has co-presented the programme with
Shelagh FogartyShelagh Fogarty, born January 13, 1966 in Liverpool, Lancashire, is a radio and television presenter and journalist. She currently hosts the BBC Radio 5 Live breakfast show with Nicky Campbell.-Early life:...
. He also presented BBC consumer show
Watchdog and an interactive programme called
Now You're Talking. Campbell has won seven
Sony 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...
, including a Gold Award in 2007 for the 5 Live Breakfast programme as Best News and Current Affairs Programme [with Shelagh Fogarty]. In 2008 he received an Honorary Doctorate from the Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen.
In 2006, Campbell appeared in the celebrity duet singing show
Just the Two of Us, with
Beverley KnightBeverley Knight MBE is a British soul and R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer who released her debut album in 1995. Heavily influenced by soul greats such as Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin, Knight has released five studio albums to date...
. Currently he fronts
For the Rest of Your LifeFor the Rest of Your Life is a British game show on ITV, hosted by Nicky Campbell. It is produced by Initial, a company of Endemol.-Round One:...
for
EndemolEndemol is a television production company based in the Netherlands, with subsidiaries and joint ventures in 23 countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Netherlands,...
, a daytime game show on
ITV1ITV1 is the generic brand, that is used by twelve franchises of the ITV Network in England, Wales, the Scottish Borders, the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their eleven...
which began in May 2007. Campbell featured in the BBC programme
Who Do You Think You Are?Who Do You Think You Are? is a British genealogy documentary series that has aired on the BBC since 2004. Made by Wall to Wall, in each episode, a celebrity goes on a journey to trace his or her family tree. Seven series have been broadcast, the most recent of which aired in July and August 2009...
aired 11 July 2007 where he is seen tracing his adoptive family's roots in Scotland and
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
. He is Patron of the British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF). He currently presents the Sunday morning programme
The Big QuestionsThe Big Questions is a faith and ethics television programme presented by Nicky Campbell. It is currently broadcast live on BBC One between 10:00am and 11:00am on Sunday, replacing Heaven & Earth as the BBC's flagship religious programme....
on
BBC One
. He is also host of the
BBC Two
quiz show
Battle of the BrainsBattle of the Brains is a game show hosted by Nicky Campbell and produced by Shine Limited for BBC Manchester. The first series was broadcast weekdays on BBC Two at 6:00pm, and started on 28 July 2008, ending on 22 August. The second series began on 9 February, 2009 ending on 6 March...
, replacing the previous host
Paddy O'ConnellGuy Patrick Bennett O'Connell , better known as Paddy O'Connell is an English television and radio presenter of Irish descent, working mainly for the BBC....
.
In May 2009 it was revealed that Anne Robinson would replace Campbell and Julia Bradbury for the new series of Watchdog, which returned to the BBC on 10 September.
Background
Campbell met his first wife Linda Larnach, who was eight years older than him, in Scotland. He later nursed her through a cancer scare and ME, and took time out from his career. He was then criticised when he broke up with her and she gave interviews in which she said his career break had been a publicity stunt.
Campbell married his second wife, journalist Tina (Christina) Ritchie who is the former head of Virgin Radio News, in December 1997 in Kensington, and the couple have four daughters (born December 1998, June 2000, January 2002 and June 2004). In 1989 during his first marriage, he had traced his birth mother and after having children of his own with Ritchie, Campbell decided to find his Irish biological father in 2002. In doing so, he discovered that his grandfather was in the
IRAThe Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
at the time of
Michael CollinsMichael Collins was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Finance and MP for Cork South in the First Dáil of 1919, Director of Intelligence for the IRA, and member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations...
, and his biological father and cousin had also both been in the IRA, with his cousin killed by British troops in Armagh in 1973. Naturally this all came as a surprise to his birth mother's Protestant family, his birth parents having only known each other fleetingly, in 1960. In 2004, he wrote
Blue-Eyed Son, his account of tracing both his birth parents and his extended family in
IrelandIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
, in which he also confesses to adultery against his first wife in a
Holiday InnHoliday Inn is a brand of hotels within the InterContinental Hotels Group .-History:The original Holiday Inn chain of hotels was created in 1952 in Memphis, Tennessee, by homebuilder Kemmons Wilson to provide inexpensive family accommodation for travelers within the United States...
in Birmingham. Both sides of his birth families helped with and contributed to the book.
In popular culture
Campbell has been impersonated and parodied by impressionist
Alistair McGowanAlistair McGowan is an English impressionist, comedian and actor. McGowan is best known for his work with Ronni Ancona on The Big Impression , which spawned his culturally popular impressions of David Beckham, Sven-Göran Eriksson, Gary Lineker, Nicky Campbell, Richard Madeley, Tony Blair, Ross...
. In impersonating Campbell he exaggerated his Scottish accent and consistently came up with the lines "I'm Nicky Campbell,
two l's. Don't mess with my name".
Music
Nicky Campbell started out as a jingle writer and when he was on Radio One [1987-1997] he wrote a lot of music for the station. He has written and co-produced a jazz swing album for the singer and actor Mark Moraghan, 'Moonlight's Back in Style', which is released on Linn Records in September 2009. Campbell and Moraghan met on the BBC celebrity singing competition in 2006. A mini documentary about the project, 'Makin Moonlight' is available on You Tube.
External links