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Terry Wogan



 
 
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE
Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a United Kingdom order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom....
 DL
Deputy Lieutenant

In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord-Lieutenant of an English ceremonial counties of England, Welsh preserved counties of Wales, Scottish lieutenancy areas of Scotland, or Northern Irish county borough or counties of Ireland....
 (born 3 August 1938) more commonly known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish
Irish people

The Irish people are a Western European ethnic group who originate in Ireland, in north western Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolgs, Tuatha D? Danann and the Milesians ?the last group supposedly representing the "pure" Gaelic a...
 radio
Radio

Radio is the transmission of signals, by modulation of electromagnetic radiation with frequency below those of visible light.Electromagnetic radiation radio propagation by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space....
 and television
Television

Television is a widely used telecommunication mass-media for transmitting and receiving moving , either monochrome or color, usually accompanied by sound....
 broadcaster
Broadcaster

Broadcaster may refer to:* A broadcasting organization, one responsible for the production of radio and television programs and/or their transmission....
, who has worked for the British Broadcasting Corporation
BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation, almost always referred to by its abbreviation "the BBC", is the world's largest broadcasting.Incorporated in the United Kingdom by government charter, it employs 28,500 people in the country alone and has an annual budget of more than ?4 billion....
 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 for most of his career. He has been a leading media personality in Ireland and the UK since the late 1960s, and is often referred to as a "national treasure"
National treasure

The idea of National Treasure, like national epics and national anthems, is part of the language of Romantic nationalism, which arose in the late 18th century and 19th centuries....
 of both the United Kingdom and his native Ireland.

y Wogan, the son of a grocery store
Grocery store

A grocery store is a store established primarily for the retailing of food. A grocer, the owner of a grocery store, stocks different kinds of foods from assorted places and cultures, and sells them to customers....
 manager
Management

Management in business and human organization activity is simply the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals. Management comprises planning, organizing, staffing, leadership or directing, and Control an organization or effort for the purpose of accomplishing a goal....
 in Limerick, was educated at the Jesuit school of Crescent College
Crescent College

Crescent College Comprehensive SJ is a secondary school located on a section of 40 acres of parkland at Dooradoyle, Limerick, Ireland. The college is one of a number of Jesuit schools in Ireland....
 from the age of eight.






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Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE
Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a United Kingdom order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom....
 DL
Deputy Lieutenant

In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord-Lieutenant of an English ceremonial counties of England, Welsh preserved counties of Wales, Scottish lieutenancy areas of Scotland, or Northern Irish county borough or counties of Ireland....
 (born 3 August 1938) more commonly known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish
Irish people

The Irish people are a Western European ethnic group who originate in Ireland, in north western Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolgs, Tuatha D? Danann and the Milesians ?the last group supposedly representing the "pure" Gaelic a...
 radio
Radio

Radio is the transmission of signals, by modulation of electromagnetic radiation with frequency below those of visible light.Electromagnetic radiation radio propagation by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space....
 and television
Television

Television is a widely used telecommunication mass-media for transmitting and receiving moving , either monochrome or color, usually accompanied by sound....
 broadcaster
Broadcaster

Broadcaster may refer to:* A broadcasting organization, one responsible for the production of radio and television programs and/or their transmission....
, who has worked for the British Broadcasting Corporation
BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation, almost always referred to by its abbreviation "the BBC", is the world's largest broadcasting.Incorporated in the United Kingdom by government charter, it employs 28,500 people in the country alone and has an annual budget of more than ?4 billion....
 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 for most of his career. He has been a leading media personality in Ireland and the UK since the late 1960s, and is often referred to as a "national treasure"
National treasure

The idea of National Treasure, like national epics and national anthems, is part of the language of Romantic nationalism, which arose in the late 18th century and 19th centuries....
 of both the United Kingdom and his native Ireland.

Early life

Terry Wogan, the son of a grocery store
Grocery store

A grocery store is a store established primarily for the retailing of food. A grocer, the owner of a grocery store, stocks different kinds of foods from assorted places and cultures, and sells them to customers....
 manager
Management

Management in business and human organization activity is simply the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals. Management comprises planning, organizing, staffing, leadership or directing, and Control an organization or effort for the purpose of accomplishing a goal....
 in Limerick, was educated at the Jesuit school of Crescent College
Crescent College

Crescent College Comprehensive SJ is a secondary school located on a section of 40 acres of parkland at Dooradoyle, Limerick, Ireland. The college is one of a number of Jesuit schools in Ireland....
 from the age of eight. He experienced a strong religious upbringing, later commenting that "There were hundreds of churches, all these missions breathing fire and brimstone, telling you how easy it was to sin
Sin

Sin is a term used mainly in a religion context to describe an act that violates a morality rule, or the state of having committed such a violation....
, how you'd be in hell. We were brainwashed into believing." Despite this, he has often expressed his fondness for the city of his birth, commenting on one occasion that "Limerick never left me, whatever it is, my identity is Limerick." At the age of 15, after his father was promoted to general manager
General manager

General Manager or GM for short is a descriptive term for certain corporate officers in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry....
, Wogan moved to Dublin
Dublin

Dublin is both the largest city and capital of Republic of Ireland. It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region....
 with his family. Whilst living in Dublin, he attended Crescent College's sister school, Belvedere College
Belvedere College

Belvedere College SJ is a private secondary school for boys located on Great Denmark Street, Dublin, Ireland. It is also known as St. Francis Xavier's College...
. He participated in amateur dramatics and discovered a love of rock music
Rock music

Rock music is a loosely defined genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the mid 1950's. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rhythm and blues, country music and other influences....
. After graduating from Belvedere in 1956, Wogan began a career in the banking profession. He later joined the national broadcaster of Ireland, RTÉ (Radio Telefís Éireann
Radio Telefís Éireann

Radio Telef?s ?ireann is the Public broadcasting of Republic of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts on television, radio and the Internet....
) as a newsreader and announcer, after seeing an advert in a newspaper advertising announcer positions.

On 25 April 1965, Wogan married Helen Joyce, with whom he has three children: Alan (born 1967); Mark (born 1970); and Katherine (born 1972), married to The Hon. Henry Cripps (the eldest son of Michael Cripps, 5th Baron Parmoor
Baron Parmoor

Baron Parmoor, of Frieth in the County of Buckingham, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1914 for the lawyer and politician Sir Charles Alfred Cripps....
). Wogan and his wife currently live in Taplow
Taplow

Taplow is a village and civil parish within South Bucks district in Buckinghamshire, England. It sits on the east bank of the River Thames facing Maidenhead on the opposite bank....
, Berkshire
Berkshire

Berkshire is a Home Counties in the South East England of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1958, and Letters patent issued confirming...
, England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
..

Radio work


Early career

Wogan conducted interviews and presented documentary features during his first two years at Radio Telefís Éireann, before moving to the light entertainment department as a disc jockey
Disc jockey

A disc jockey is a person who selects and plays sound recording for an audience. Originally, disk referred to phonograph records, while disc refers to the Compact Disc, and has become the more common spelling....
 and host of TV quiz
Quiz Show

Quiz Show is a 1994 American historical drama film which tells the true story of the Twenty One quiz show scandal of the 1950s. It stars John Turturro, Rob Morrow, Ralph Fiennes, Paul Scofield, David Paymer, Hank Azaria, and Christopher McDonald....
 and variety show
Variety show

A variety show or variety entertainment is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and comedy skits, and normally introduced by a Master of Ceremonies or Presenter....
s such as Jackpot, a top rated quiz show on RTÉ in the 1960s. When the show was dropped by RTÉ TV in 1967, Wogan approached the BBC for extra work. He began working for BBC Radio
BBC Radio

BBC Radio is a service of the BBC which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company, Ltd....
 presenting Midday Spin in the mid-1960s and, on the inauguration of BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1

BBC Radio 1 is a United Kingdom international radio station operated by the BBC, specialising in current popular music throughout the day, with a slight bias to Rock music & Independent music music....
, he presented Late Night Extra for two years, commuting weekly from Dublin to London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
. After covering Jimmy Young
Jimmy Young (disc jockey)

Sir Jimmy Young CBE is a well-known former singer, United Kingdom disc jockey and radio station interviewer....
's mid-morning show throughout July 1969, he was offered a regular afternoon slot from 3 to 5 p.m. This was officially on BBC Radio 1, but lack of funding meant that it was also broadcast on BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2

BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio radio station and the List of most-listened-to radio programs in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult contemporary music or Album-orientated rock, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres....
.

In April 1972, he took over the breakfast show on BBC Radio 2, swapping places with John Dunn, who briefly hosted the afternoon show. By this time, Radio 1 and Radio 2 had diverged sufficiently to allow separate programming, and Wogan enjoyed unprecedented popularity, achieving audiences of up to 7.6 million. His seemingly ubiquitous presence across the media meant that he frequently became the butt of jokes by comedians of the time, among them The Goodies
The Goodies

:For information about the television series, see The Goodies The Goodies are a trio of United Kingdom comedians , who created, wrote, and starred in a surrealism British television comedy series called The Goodies during the 1970s and early 1980s combining sketch comedy and situation comedy....
 and The Barron Knights. Wogan was eminently capable of self-parody too, releasing a vocal version of the song "The Floral Dance
The Floral Dance

The Floral Dance is a popular England song describing the annual Furry Dance in Helston, Cornwall.The music and lyrics were written in 1911 by Kate Emily Barclay Moss who was a professional violinist, pianist and concert singer....
" during this time, by popular request from listeners who enjoyed hearing him sing over the instrumental
Instrumental

An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or any other sort of vocal music; all of the music is produced by musical instruments....
 hit by the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band
Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band

The Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band was formed in 1881. It is based in Brighouse, in Calderdale in West Yorkshire....
. His version reached number 21 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company on behalf of the British record industry. The chart week runs from Sunday to Saturday, with the chart being printed in Music Week magazine , ChartsPlus , and published online on various sites ....
. A follow-up single, entitled "Me and the Elephant", and an eponymous album
Album

An album or record album is a collection of related Sound recording and reproduction or music tracks distributed to the public. The most common way is through commercial distribution, although smaller artists will often distribute directly to the public by selling their albums at live concerts or on their websites....
 were also released, but did not chart
Record chart

Record chart are a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
.

In December 1984, Wogan left his breakfast show to pursue a full-time career in television. He was replaced on radio by Ken Bruce
Ken Bruce

Kenneth Robertson Bruce is a veteran United Kingdom broadcaster known for his programme on BBC Radio 2, which is broadcast on weekdays from 9.30 am until 12noon....
, followed shortly afterwards by Derek Jameson
Derek Jameson

Derek Jameson is a British tabloid journalist and broadcaster.He was evacuated from London in WW2. His career began in Fleet Street, as a messenger boy, before becoming managing editor of the Daily Mirror newspaper and editor of the Daily Express, Daily Star and News of the World....
 and finally Brian Hayes
Brian Hayes (broadcaster)

Brian Hayes is a radio presenter who is known in United Kingdom for his phone-in shows.The son of a miner, he left school aged 15 and worked as a clerk for a mining company before obtaining a job as a newsreader for a radio station in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia....
.

Return to radio

In January 1993, he returned to BBC Radio 2 to present the breakfast show, now called Wake Up to Wogan
Wake Up to Wogan

Wake Up to Wogan is the most listened to radio show in the United Kingdom and the flagship breakfast programme broadcast on BBC Radio 2. The show is presented by Sir Terry Wogan who has fronted WUTW since January 1993; he had previously presented the breakfast show between 1972 and 1984, but the title WUTW was only added at the start of...
. His tendency to go off on rambling, esoteric tangents, often including banter with his then producer, the late Paul Walters
Paul Walters

Paul Walters was a BBC radio and TV producer, most noted for his work and appearances on Sir Terry Wogan's BBC Radio 2 breakfast show Wake Up to Wogan, where he was known to millions as "Dr Wally"....
, seems to have become popular with both younger and older listeners. The show is highly interactive with much of the entertainment coming from letters and emails sent in by listeners (many of whom adopt punning pseudonyms, such as Edina Cloud, Lucy Lastic, Mick Sturbs or Hellen Bach, for the purpose) with an often surrealistic bent. One memorable occasion involved Wogan reading out an email from someone using the name "Tess Tickles", without realising what the name was referring to, prompting Paul Walters' standard reply in such situations - "I only print 'em!"

As his radio show was perceived to attract older listeners, Wogan jokingly refers to his fans as "TOGs", standing for Terry's Old Geezer
Geezer

Geezer is a term for a man. In North America, it carries the connotation of an old person.Geezer may also refer to:* Geezer Butler, the founding bassist for Black Sabbath...
s
or Terry's Old Gals, whilst "TYGs" are Terry's Young Geezers/Gals who he jokes are forced to listen to him because of their parents' choice of radio station. Wogan is referred to as The Togmeister on his own programme by himself and members of his production team, and he refers to the podcast of his show as a 'togcast' in keeping with the acronyms described above.

There are also running jokes involving Wogan's newsreader colleagues Alan Dedicoat
Alan Dedicoat

Alan "Deadly" Dedicoat is probably best known as the "Voice of the Balls" on the National Lottery programmes on BBC One. He also reads the news on BBC Radio 2's weekday breakfast programme, Wake Up to Wogan....
 (nicknamed 'Deadly' after the spoonerism 'Deadly Alancoat'), Fran Godfrey
Fran Godfrey

Frances Helen Godfrey is a BBC Radio 2 newsreader, most famous for her appearances on Wake Up to Wogan, the highest-rated radio show in United Kingdom....
 and John Marsh
John Marsh (newsreader)

John Marsh is a freelance newsreader on BBC Radio 2."Boggy", as he has been nicknamed by Terry Wogan, is from Sussex, and was originally a cameraman....
 (nicknamed 'Boggy'). Marsh once told Wogan on air that his wife was called Janet, and a series of "Janet and John
Janet and John

Janet and John are the main characters in a series of reading books for children aged 4-7 years....
" stories followed, read by Wogan during the breakfast show. These are a pastiche of children's learn-to-read stories but are littered with humorous double-entendres which often lead to Terry and Boggy breaking into uncontrollable laughter. Three CDs, the first with fourteen stories, the second with sixteen and the third with eighteen (two never broadcast), have been sold by listeners in aid of Children in Need
Children in Need

File:BBC Children in Need.svgBBC Children in Need is an annual United Kingdom charitable organization appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over ?500 million....
, and have raised an enormous amount for the campaign. A long-running campaign by Wogan criticising the British government for levying VAT on these CDs eventually led to a government rebate of £200,000.

Another famous stream is Terry’s banter with “the Totty from Splotty “ – Lynn Bowles
Lynn Bowles

Lynn M. Bowles is a BBC Radio 2 traffic reporter and can be heard relaying the latest traffic news on a half hourly basis on the morning shows presented by Sarah Kennedy, Terry Wogan and Ken Bruce....
, the Welsh traffic reporter from Splott, Cardiff – which often involves reading Limericks from listeners cut short after 1 or 2 lines as the risqué innuendo is telegraphed.

Through his show Wogan is also widely credited with launching the career of singer Katie Melua
Katie Melua

Ketevan "Katie" Melua is a Georgian people/United Kingdom singer, songwriter and musician. She was born in Georgia , but moved to Northern Ireland at the age of eight and then relocated to England at the age of 14....
 after he repeatedly played her debut single, "The Closest Thing to Crazy
The Closest Thing to Crazy

"The Closest Thing to Crazy" is the debut single of Georgia -born songstress Katie Melua. It is featured on her hugely successful album, Call Off the Search....
", in late 2003. When she performed on Children in Need in 2005, Wogan jokingly said to Melua, "You owe it all to me, and maybe a little to your own talent". He has, however, made no secret that the credit for discovering her lies with his long time producer, the late Paul Walters.

In 2005, it was reported that his breakfast show Wake Up to Wogan
Wake Up to Wogan

Wake Up to Wogan is the most listened to radio show in the United Kingdom and the flagship breakfast programme broadcast on BBC Radio 2. The show is presented by Sir Terry Wogan who has fronted WUTW since January 1993; he had previously presented the breakfast show between 1972 and 1984, but the title WUTW was only added at the start of...
 attracted an audience of eight million. According to figures leaked to British newspapers in April 2006, Wogan was the highest paid BBC radio presenter at that time, with an £800,000 a year salary. In an interview with Britain's Hello magazine in its 30 May 2006 issue, Wogan confirmed this, saying, "The amount they said was true and I don't give a monkey's about people knowing it. Nor do I feel guilty. If you do the maths, factoring in my eight million listeners, I cost the BBC about 2p a fortnight. I think I'm cheap at the price".

On 23 May 2005, Wogan broke strike picket line
Picket line

A picket line is a horizontal rope, along which horses are tied at intervals. The rope can be on the ground, at chest height , or overhead. The overhead form usually is called a high line....
s to present his show. The strike by BBC staff was a protest over announced job cuts. Reportedly, he gave them a smile and wished them all well. He explained on air that the reason for doing so was that he is contracted to host Wake up to Wogan and hence is not directly employed by the BBC, and so could not legally strike with their employees.

Wogan was forced off air on 16 February 2007 when steam from a nearby gym set off fire alarms. For 15 minutes an emergency tape played non stop music, finishing with 2Pac's' "Guess Who's Back". On returning, Wogan read out several light hearted comments from listeners saying that they thought he had died with his sudden disappearance and the playing of such sentimental music.

Television work


Children in Need


Wogan first appeared for Children in Need
Children in Need

File:BBC Children in Need.svgBBC Children in Need is an annual United Kingdom charitable organization appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over ?500 million....
 in 1978 during a five-minute appeal on Christmas Day, and repeated this in 1979. In 1980, the appeal was first broadcast as a telethon
Telethon

A Examples...
 with Wogan presenting alongside Sue Lawley
Sue Lawley

Sue Lawley is an England broadcaster.Born in Sedgley, Staffordshire, England and brought up in the Black Country, she was educated at Dudley Girls High School and graduated in languages from the University of Bristol and some time later started her career at the BBC in Plymouth....
 and Esther Rantzen
Esther Rantzen

Esther Louise Rantzen Order of the British Empire is an England journalist and television presenter who is best known for her long stint in That's Life! and her child protection activities as founder of the charity ChildLine....
. Wogan has been the presenter of this annual event ever since.

He has campaigned extensively for the charity and often involves himself via auction
Auction

An auction is a process of trade goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the winning bidder....
s on his radio show, or more directly by taking part in well-publicised sponsored activities. The BBC Children In Need 2006 programme trailer featured Wogan in a wrestling ring, supported by various television personalities. His opponent (Ken Bruce) appeared confident in defeating him, until Terry removes his shirt to reveal the physique of a bodybuilder. He has since joked on his BBC Radio 2 programme that the media had got it wrong, and that his body was superimposed on somebody else's head.

He is reported to be the only celebrity paid for his participation in Children in Need, having received a fee every year since 1980 (£9,065 in 2005). Wogan, however, has stated that he would "quite happily do it for nothing" and that he "never asked for a fee". The BBC stated that the fee had "never been negotiated". Wogan's fee has been paid from BBC resources and not from the Children in Need charity fund. There is no record, however, of Wogan ever having repaid his fee from previous years.

Eurovision Song Contest

Wogan provided commentary for the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest

The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition....
 first in 1973 and then again in 1978. Since 1980 he has commentated on every contest until 2008 and became famous for his sardonic and highly cynical comments. He also co-hosted the contest, in 1998 with Ulrika Jonsson
Ulrika Jonsson

Eva Ulrika Jonsson is a Swedish-born British television presenter and occasional actress....
, live from Birmingham
Birmingham

Birmingham is a city status in the United Kingdom and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. Birmingham is the most populous of England's English Core Cities Group, and is the List of United Kingdom cities by population British city after London, with a population of 1,010,200 ....
, and remained until recently an advocate of the contest. He earnt a reported £150,000 annually for his work with the contest. His commentating style, which often involved humour at the expense of others, has caused some minor controversy, for example when he referred to the hosts of the 2001 contest
Eurovision Song Contest 2001

The Eurovision Song Contest 2001 was the 46th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on May 12, 2001 in the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, Denmark....
 in Denmark, Søren Pilmark
Søren Pilmark

S?ren Pilmark is a Denmark actor.With Natasja Crone Back, he is notable for hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 2001 in a seemingly endless string of rhyming couplets....
 and Natasja Crone Back
Natasja Crone Back

Natasja Crone Back is a Denmark journalist and TV-show presenter. She is well known from several big shows on Danish television.In 1996 Natasja finished journalist school....
, as "Doctor Death and the Tooth Fairy". Although many British viewers find his comments amusing, they are far from being universally liked. The Danes were less than appreciative and Wogan now jokes that he is banned from visiting Denmark.

During the presentation of the Dutch
Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
 televote in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006
Eurovision Song Contest 2006

The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the 51st Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Athens Olympic Sports Complex#Olympic Indoor Hall in Athens, Greece on the 18 May and 20 May 2006 ....
, Wogan called the Dutch televote presenter, Paul de Leeuw
Paul de Leeuw

Paul Henri de Leeuw is a Netherlands television comedian, singer and actor.De Leeuw gained national fame in the late eighties and early nineties with television shows for broadcasting company VARA ....
, an "eejit", as de Leeuw started to make ad lib comments, gave his mobile phone number and lengthened the Dutch results. Chris Tarrant
Chris Tarrant

Christopher John Tarrant Order of the British Empire is an England 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....
 later remarked that "Terry Wogan's commentary is why any sane person would choose to watch the Eurovision," referring to his now-infamous acerbism..

During the 2007 BBC show Making Your Mind Up
Making Your Mind Up (TV series)

Eurovision: Your Country Needs You is the name for the 2009 series of the BBC TV show broadcast annually to select Britain's entry into the Eurovision Song Contest....
, in which the British public voted to decide their Eurovision entry, Terry Wogan announced, wrongly, that the runner-up Cyndi was the winner. The actual winner was the group Scooch
Scooch

Scooch are a United Kingdom bubblegum dance Musical ensemble, comprising performers Natalie Powers, Caroline Barnes, David Ducasse and Russ Spencer....
 and, according to the BBC, Terry Wogan had been provided with the correct result during the live show.

The Contest in recent years, however, has become notorious for a perceived increase in political voting (an aspect noted for many years). In 2008
Eurovision Song Contest 2008

The Eurovision Song Contest 2008 was the 53rd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, which was hosted by Serbia. The semi-finals were held on 20 May and 22 May, and the final was held on 24 May 2008 in the capital, Belgrade....
 the UK's entry, Andy Abraham
Andy Abraham

Andrew 'Andy' Abraham is an England vocalist. He was runner-up in the The X Factor of The X Factor and also represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008....
, came last, much to Wogan's disappointment. Wogan argued that Abraham "..gave, I think, the performance of his life with a song that certainly deserved far more points than it got when you look at the points that Spain got, that Bosnia-Herzegovina got - some really ridiculous songs."

Unknown to the majority of television viewers across Europe, however, Wogan is well-known to many veteran broadcasters across the continent, being seen as a Eurovision Song Contest institution. Indeed, at the 2008 contest
Eurovision Song Contest 2008

The Eurovision Song Contest 2008 was the 53rd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, which was hosted by Serbia. The semi-finals were held on 20 May and 22 May, and the final was held on 24 May 2008 in the capital, Belgrade....
 he was acknowledged by both hosts, and welcomed personally by name to the show (alongside only two other individuals from the 43 participating broadcasting nations: France's Jean-Paul Gaultier
Jean-Paul Gaultier

Jean-Paul Gaultier is a France fashion designer and past television presenter....
 and Finland's 2007 Contest host Jaana Pelkonen
Jaana Pelkonen

Jaana Pelkonen is a Finland television host....
).

On 11 August 2008, Wogan said in an interview with national magazine RadioTimes that he was 'very doubtful' about presenting the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest

The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition....
 for the United Kingdom again, claiming it was "predictable" and "... no longer a music contest". On 5 December 2008 Wogan officially stepped down from the role after 35 years. Graham Norton
Graham Norton

Graham William Walker is an Irish people actor, comedian and television presenter. He is known by his stage name Graham Norton....
 succeeds Wogan as BBC commentator for the 2009 contest.

Chat shows

In 1981, he had a chance to host a one-off chat show, Saturday Live
Saturday Live

Saturday Live was a television chat show which was broadcast in Republic of Ireland on RT? One in the late 1980s. "Saturday Live" was created to fill the vacant Saturday night slot after the departure of Gay Byrne's "The Late Late Show" from Saturday to Friday nights....
. Among his guests on this show were Larry Hagman
Larry Hagman

Larry Martin Hagman is an United States film and television actor, Television producer and Television director, primarily in soap operas and television, who is best known for playing J....
, promoting his new film S.O.B., and Frank Hall
Frank Hall

Frank Hall was an Republic of Ireland journalist, satirist and broadcaster. He was the second presenter of RT?'s long-running The Late Late Show....
, who was then the Irish film censor. During the course of the interview, Hall accused Wogan of selling out his Irish heritage and, responding to a question posed by Wogan about his suitability as a film censor, said there was more filth on British television than in film citing the BBC TV serial
Miniseries

A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a production which tells a story in a pre-planned limited number of episodes....
 The Borgias
The Borgias

The Borgias is a British television drama serial produced by the BBC in 1981.A historical series, The Borgias was set in Italy during the 15th century and told the tale of Rodrigo Borgia - the future Pope Alexander VI - and his family, including his son Cesare Borgia and daughter Lucrezia Borgia ....
 as an example.

Wogan was given his own chat show, Wogan
Wogan

Wogan was a chat show on United Kingdom television, hosted by Terry Wogan. It followed the format of a series broadcast in 1980 entitled What's On Wogan?, which failed to gather viewers....
, which was initially broadcast on Saturday nights but, between 1985 and 1992, became twice and later thrice-weekly. Notable moments of the series included interviews with a drunk George Best
George Best

George Best was a Northern Irish professional association football player, best known for his years with Manchester United F.C.. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders....
, a silent Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase

Cornelius Crane ?Chevy? Chase is an United States Emmy Award comedian, writer, and television and film actor. Born into a prominent family, Chase quickly became a key cast member in the inaugural season of Saturday Night Live, where his Weekend Update skit quickly became a staple of the show....
, a nervous Anne Bancroft
Anne Bancroft

Anne Bancroft was an United States actress associated with the Method acting school of acting....
 who was so petrified she gave monosyllabic answers and counted to ten before descending the entrance steps to the studio, Ronnie Barker
Ronnie Barker

Ronald William George Barker, Order of the British Empire , was an English actor and comedian, best known for his roles as Norman Stanley Fletcher in the British comedy television series Porridge , as various characters in the British comedy television series The Two Ronnies and as Albert Arkwright in the British comedy television ser...
 announcing his retirement on the show, and David Icke
David Icke

David Vaughan Icke , born April 29, 1952, is a British writer and public speaker who has devoted himself since 1990 to researching "who and what is really controlling the world." A former professional football player, reporter, television sports presenter, and spokesman for the Green Party, he is the author of 20 books explaining his views....
 claiming to be the "Son of God" to whom Wogan famously stated "They're laughing at you - they're not laughing with you."

In 1992, a poll apparently revealed Wogan to be simultaneously the most and the least popular person in Britain, and he was subsequently released from his talk-show contract after pressure from the BBC. He claims that the BBC also wanted his scheduling slot for the ill-fated soap Eldorado
Eldorado (TV series)

Eldorado was a United Kingdom soap opera that ran for only one year, from 6 July 1992 to 9 July 1993. Set in Los Barcos on the Costa Eldorado somewhere on the Costa Del Sol and based around the lives of British and European Expatriate, the BBC hoped it would be as successful as EastEnders and replicate some of the sunshine and glamour...
.

Wogan now presents Wogan Now and Then, a show where he interviews guests from his old chat show as well as new guests, and for which he reportedly earns £30,000 per episode. He claims that presenting the programme is a light relief after so many years on radio. Wogan also designed the set for his new show, allowing him to get a better feel for it. He even claims that the seat he uses is designed to support the lower back since he suffers from back complaints.

He is set to host a teatime quiz show for Channel 4
Channel 4

Channel 4 is a UK Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom television broadcaster which began transmissions on 2 November 1982. Although 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 Four Television...
 called Wogan's Perfect Recall
Wogan's Perfect Recall

Wogan's Perfect Recall is a Channel 4 game show presented by Terry Wogan, first broadcast in 2008. It airs from 17:00 to 17:30 Monday to Friday, occupying some of the timeslot previously taken by Richard & Judy....
 when Richard and Judy
Richard and Judy

Richard Madeley and Judith 'Judy' Finnigan are married television presenters. Since their marriage, their television appearances have been largely made as a couple, though each has had the occasional solo project....
's teatime Show
Richard & Judy

Richard & Judy is a United Kingdom magazine/Talk/Chat show that aired on Channel 4 from 2001 to 2008. Presented by married couple Richard and Judy, it often featured the world's most famous stars, along with features that included their Book discussion club, Wine Club and Film Club....
 finishes before they leave for the UKTV
UKTV

UKTV is a joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Virgin Media Television. UKTV is one of the United Kingdom's largest television companies.UKTV's channels are available via satellite and cable in the UK and the Republic of Ireland....
 network .

Written works

Wogan has published a number of written works, including:
  • Banjaxed (October 1979)
  • The Day Job (1981)
  • Wogan on Wogan (1987)
  • Terry Wogan's Bumper Book of TOGs (1995)


He has also written two autobiographical volumes:
  • Is It Me? (September 2000)
  • Mustn't Grumble (September 2006)


A diary was also published last year:
  • Wogan's Twelve (October 2007)


Other appearances

In 1981, Wogan set the world record for the longest successful golf
Golf

Golf is a sport in which players using many types of Golf club including wood , iron , and putter , attempt to hit golf ball into each hole on a golf course in the lowest possible number of strokes....
 putt ever televised, which was 33 yards (30.2m) at the Gleneagles
Gleneagles

Gleneagles may refer to the following:*Gleneagles, Scotland**The July 2005 G8 Summit held at Gleneagles, Scotland*Gleneagles Agreement*Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder...
 golf course
Golf course

A golf course consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, Golf course#Fairway and rough, rough and other hazards, and a green with a pin and cup, all designed for the game of golf....
 in a pro-celebrity TV programme on the BBC.

Wogan has appeared on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross is a comical chat show presented by Jonathan Ross . It is on the United Kingdom terrestrial TV channel BBC One and is broadcast at 10.35pm on Friday nights....
 in 2004, 2006 and 2007. In an appearance on the BBC programme Top Gear
Top Gear (current format)

Top Gear is a BAFTA, multi-National Television Awards and International Emmy Award-winning BBC television series about motor vehicles, primarily automobile....
, Wogan managed to become one of the slowest people to go around the test track as the "Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car", a Suzuki Liana. His time of 2:04 was faster only than Richard Whiteley
Richard Whiteley

John Richard Whiteley, Order of the British Empire Deputy Lieutenant , usually known as Richard Whiteley, was an England television presenter and journalist....
, who lapped in 2:06. Wogan's time has been beaten by Johnny Vegas
Johnny Vegas

Johnny Vegas is an England actor and comedian. He is known for his bizarre rants, portly figure, husky voice, loyal support of rugby league and avid consumption of Guinness....
, who doesn't have a driving licence, and Bosnia war veteran Billy Baxter, who is blind.

Other television programmes he has presented:
  • Come Dancing
    Come Dancing

    Come Dancing was a BBC TV ballroom dancing competition show that ran on and off from 1949 to 1998, becoming one of television's longest-running shows....
     (ballroom dance show) (1974-1979)
  • Blankety Blank
    Blankety Blank

    Blankety Blank is a United Kingdom comedy game show based on the late-1970s Australian game show Blankety Blanks .The British version ran from 18 January, 1979 to 12 March, 1990 with 218 episodes on the BBC, hosted first by Terry Wogan and then by Les Dawson....
     (game show
    Game show

    A game show is a type of television program in which members of the public or celebrity, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving problems for money and/or prizes....
    ) (1979-1984)
  • Auntie's Bloomers (outtake
    Outtake

    An outtake is a portion of a work that is removed in the editing process and not included in the work's final, publicly released version. In the digital era significant outtakes have been appended to CD and DVD reissues of many albums and films as bonus tracks or features....
    s show)
  • Points of View
    Points of View

    Points of View is a long-running television show shown in the United Kingdom on BBC One, featuring the letters of viewers offering praise, criticism and purportedly witty observations on the television of recent weeks....
     (viewers' letters) (1999-2008)
  • Wogan's Web
  • The Terry and Gaby Show
    The Terry and Gaby Show

    The Terry and Gaby Show was a daytime television show broadcast on Five on weekday mornings between June 2003 and March 2004, produced by Chris Evans ' company UMTV....
     (with Gaby Roslin
    Gaby Roslin

    Gaby Roslin is an England television presenter and actress....
    ) (2003-2004)
  • Wogan's Perfect Recall
    Wogan's Perfect Recall

    Wogan's Perfect Recall is a Channel 4 game show presented by Terry Wogan, first broadcast in 2008. It airs from 17:00 to 17:30 Monday to Friday, occupying some of the timeslot previously taken by Richard & Judy....
     
    (game show
    Game show

    A game show is a type of television program in which members of the public or celebrity, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving problems for money and/or prizes....
    ) (2008-)
Wogan also narrated the 1987 BBC television series Stoppit and Tidyup
Stoppit and Tidyup

Stoppit and Tidyup was a United Kingdom children's television series animated cartoon series originally broadcast by the BBC in 1987. The series was created by Charles Mills and Terry Brain, the duo behind CMTB Animation who had previously created a claymation called The Trap Door....
.

Terry has become the host of the annual 'The Oldie of the Year Awards' held at Simpsons-on-the-Strand in London on behalf of The Oldie
The Oldie

The Oldie is a monthly magazine launched in 1992 by Richard Ingrams, who for 23 years was the Editing of Private Eye. It carries general interest articles, humour and cartoons, and has an eclectic list of contributors, including Miles Kington, Ned Sherrin , Beryl Bainbridge, Rosie Boycott, Thomas Stuttaford, John Michell and Edward...
 Magazine.

Honours and awards


In 2005, Wogan was awarded an honorary knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours
Queen's Birthday Honours

The Queen's Birthday Honours is a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named....
. As a result of his becoming a British citizen that year, the knighthood was made substantive on 11 October 2005, allowing him to use the style "Sir". He was made an honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a United Kingdom order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom....
 (OBE) in 1997, which is now subsumed in the knighthood. On 29 May 2007 he was made a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant

In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord-Lieutenant of an English ceremonial counties of England, Welsh preserved counties of Wales, Scottish lieutenancy areas of Scotland, or Northern Irish county borough or counties of Ireland....
 of Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire is a Ceremonial counties of England and Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England home counties Counties of England in South East England England....
.

In 2004, he was awarded the Gold Blue Peter Badge
Blue Peter badge

A Blue Peter badge is a much coveted award for Blue Peter viewers, given by the children's television programme for those appearing on the show, or in recognition of achievement....
.

On 15 June 2007, his home town of Limerick
Limerick

Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the county seat of County Limerick in the province of Munster, in the midwest of Republic of Ireland....
 honoured him with the 'Freedom of the City' at a ceremony in Limerick's Civic Hall. The Freedom of Limerick honour dates from medieval times. Because of his long absence from the city as well as some well remembered, less than flattering remarks about the city in an 1980 interview, the local press carried out a vox pop which resulted in unanimous support for the award. He has since acknowledged the strength of character of the local population who "never give up ... never say die and ... are never beaten." "Limerick never left me" he is quoted as saying and "whatever it is, my identity is Limerick." He has previously received an honorary doctorate from the University of Limerick
University of Limerick

The University of Limerick was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and became a university by Act of the Oireachtas in 1989 in accordance with the ....
 as well as a Special Lifetime Achievement Award from his native city

Radio 2's Ultimate Icon

Wogan was announced as the Ultimate Icon of Radio 2 to commemorate the station's 40th birthday. The shortlist of 16 candidates had been published on the BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2

BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio radio station and the List of most-listened-to radio programs in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult contemporary music or Album-orientated rock, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres....
 website and the winner was announced live on Radio 2 during Family Favourites
Family Favourites

Successor to the wartime show Forces Favourites, Family Favourites was broadcast at Sunday lunchtimes on the BBC Light Programme, BBC Radio 2 and the British Forces Broadcasting Service until 1980....
 with Michael Aspel
Michael Aspel

Michael Terence Aspel, Order of the British Empire is an England journalist and television presenter. He has been a high-profile TV personality in the United Kingdom since the 1960s, presenting programmes such as Crackerjack, Aspel and Company, This is Your Life, Strange But True? and Antiques Roadshow....
 on 30 September 2007. He praised his fellow nominees, The Beatles
The Beatles

The Beatles were a rock music and pop music band from Liverpool, England that formed in 1960. During their career, the group primarily consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr ....
, Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales

Diana, Princess of Wales, was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales. Their sons, Princes Prince William of Wales and Prince Henry of Wales , are second and third Line of succession to the British throne of the British monarchy and fifteen other Commonwealth Realms....
 and Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was the first President of South Africa of South Africa to be elected in a universal suffrage democratic election, serving in the office from 1994?99....
 during his acceptance speech which was broadcast live on BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2

BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio radio station and the List of most-listened-to radio programs in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult contemporary music or Album-orientated rock, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres....
, and he chose Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole

Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an United States musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist....
's Stardust as his Iconic Song of the last 40 years, which he had chosen twice before as his favourite record on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4

BBC Radio 4 is a domestic UK radio station that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history....
's Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs

Desert Island Discs is a long-running BBC Radio 4 programme. It was first broadcast on 29 January 1942 and is said by the Guinness Book of Records to be the longest-running music programme in the history of radio....
.

External links