Anthony H. Wilson
Biography
Anthony H, known to his friends (and, let's face it, everyone else) as Tony, was a legend in his own time. Presenter of Granada Reports since the middle ages, he was best-known outside the North West of England as the man who founded Factory Records, discovered New Order and the Happy Mondays, made a lot of money, lost it all on the Haçienda, and wound up back where he started - reading the news. Probably the only game show host on this site to have had a feature film made about him. And a really good, hit film at that.
He died in 2007, from a heart attack following renal cancer, aged 57.
Trivia
In the aforesaid film, 24 Hour Party People, he is portrayed by Steve Coogan. Wilson himself also had a cameo in the movie (as a TV director) and wrote the tie-in book.
Incidentally, at one point the film shows Wilson hosting Wheel of Fortune. This never actually happened in real life.
Naturally, he also turns up as a character in the 2007 Ian Curtis / Joy Division biopic Control, this time played by Craig Parkinson.
While promoting Topranko!, Wilson told The Sun, "I was apparently in the running to present The Krypton Factor, some years ago." Given Wilson's flair for self-mythology, it's not known whether he was being serious (though of course he was arguably Granada's biggest name presenter when The Krypton Factor began, so it's certainly possible).
He is just out of the frame of the cover photo of Iggy Pop's Lust For Life, which was taken during an interview at Granada Studios.
The H stands for Howard.
Books / Tapes
24 Hour Party People (paperback)
