Biography
John Richard Whiteley OBE DL (28 December 1943 – 26 June 2005) was an English presenter, and journalist, best known for his twenty-three years as host of the game show Countdown. Countdown was the launch programme for Channel 4 at 4:45 pm on 2 November 1982, and Whiteley was the first person to be seen on the channel (not counting a programme montage). Despite his intelligence, Whiteley enjoyed projecting the image of an absent-minded eccentric. His trademarks were his jolly, avuncular manner, his fondness for puns, and his bold, sometimes garish wardrobe.
Thanks to over twenty years' worth of nightly instalments of Countdown as well as his work on the Yorkshire magazine programme Calendar and various other television projects, at the time of his death Whiteley was believed to have clocked more hours on British television screens—and more than 10,000 appearances—than anyone else alive, apart from Carole Hersee, the young girl who appeared on the BBC's Test Card F.
Filmography
all 16
TV Shows 14
self 8
Movies 2
The Paul O'Grady Show (2004)
The Keith Barret Show (2004)
The Terry and Gaby Show (2003)
A Place in the Sun (2002)
Top Gear (2002)
Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (2002)
Bill Bailey: Bewilderness (2001)
Fat Friends (2000)
It's Only TV But I Like It (1999)
The Mrs Merton Show (1995)
Shooting Stars (1993)
Noel's House Party (1991)
Countdown (1982)
Calendar Countdown (1982)
A Bronte Christmas (1980)
Calendar (1968)
Ratings
Information
Known ForActing
GenderMale
Birthday1943-12-28
Deathday2005-06-26 (61 years old)
Birth PlaceBradford, United Kingdom
CitizenshipsUnited Kingdom
AwardsOfficer of the Order of the British Empire
This article uses material from Wikipedia.
- Richard Whiteley
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