John Humphrys
Biography
Welsh-born veteran journalist with a reputation as an abrasive political interviewer. He presented the Six O'Clock News and the Nine O'Clock News in the 1980s before moving to Radio 4's Today, which he has anchored since 1987. He also chaired the BBC's 'Family Matters' programme in the early 1990's.
Trivia
His real name is Desmond John Humphrys, but he has always used his middle name professionally.
In 2004, he launched a withering attack on reality television, saying that "the way to get ratings is to get evil". Eyebrows were raised a year later when he appeared on Art School, itself a, er, reality show. Though (admittedly) not particularly evil.
He got himself quoted in the press again in September 2009 when he told the crowd at a railway industry awards dinner of his reaction on being offered the Mastermind job: "Money for old rope, I thought. I was right as well."
In an interview in 'Radio Times' at the time of Mastermind's 2010 Grand Final, Humphrys rather surprisingly admitted that he wasn't normally a quiz-fan ("I'd rather watch paint dry. But 'Mastermind' is different", he declared). Presumably, he had made similar exceptions for two other shows, namely Call My Bluff and Have I Got News for You. He was a regular and very witty guest on the former, alongside Alan Coren and Sandi Toksvig, and he has been a guest host on the latter.
He has received honorary degrees from the University of Wales, University of Dundee and Abertay University.
He recieved an Outstanding Contribution award (pictured above) at the 2005 Welsh BAFTAs.
He is the only person to have stood in for David Dimbleby on "Question Time" (one edition in November 2009).
He lists his recreations in Who's Who as music, hill walking, and attempting to play the cello. His oldest son, Christopher, is a cellist - and John also has a daughter, Catherine, and a much younger son, Owen, who was born when John was 56 and whom he has often mentioned during his chats with his 'Mastermind' contestants.
John's younger brother, the late Bob Humphrys, was a senior sports correspondent for Wales Today. Beforehand, both Bob and John worked together on the current affairs programme Week In Week Out. . He was born on the same day as Robert De Niro - 17 August 1943.
He was born in a rather unflatteringly-named area of Cardiff: Splott, but that place has bred at least one other famous person, namely the Reverend Roger Royle, who has presented "Songs of Praise" and also a number of religious programmes on radio.
Books/Tapes
Devil's Advocate (paperback)
The Great Food Gamble (paperback)
Lost For Words: The Mangling and Manipulating of the English Language (paperback)
Beyond Words: How Language Reveals The Way We Live Now (hardback)
In God We Doubt: Confessions Of A Failed Atheist (hardback)
