This Is Your Life: Bob Champion

Bob CHAMPION (1948-)

The second This Is Your Life subject to be surprised on their wedding day!

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Bob Champion, jockey, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews as he walked out of St James' Church in the Cotswold market town of Chipping Campden, having just been married.

Bob, who was born in Kent but grew up in Yorkshire, had ambitions to be a jockey from a young age. After winning several local point-to-point races, he was hired as a jockey at professional stables in Hampshire before joining trainer Josh Gifford in 1973. In the 1977-78 National Hunt racing season, Bob finished 3rd place in the championship table with 56 winners.

At the height of a successful career, Bob was diagnosed with testicular cancer in July 1979 and given eight months to live. However, he returned to racing following successful treatment and, in a great triumph over adversity, won the 1981 Grand National on Aldaniti – the horse itself making a comeback from various crippling injuries.

"I'll kill that Derek!"

programme details...

Edition No: 574
Subject No: 570
Broadcast date: Tue 13 Oct 1981
Broadcast time: 7.30-8.00pm
Recorded: Mon 12 Oct 1981
Venue: Wedding Marquee, Chipping Campden
Series: 22
Edition: 1
Code name: Wonder

on the guest list...

Jo - wife
Fred Winter
Richard Pitman
Jonathan Powell
Bob Davies
Terry Biddlecombe
John Francome
Bob - father
Phyllis - mother
Mary - sister
Richard - brother-in-law
Nicky - nephew
Emma - niece
Margaret Neesham
David Anker
John Rickman
Howard Thompson
Derek Thompson
Arthur - uncle
Eileen - aunt
Jim Old
Sally Old
Ian Watkinson
Carol Blackmoor
Josh Gifford
Burly Cocks
Babs Cocks

production team...

Researcher: unknown
Writers: Tom Brennand, Roy Bottomley
Directors: Paul Stewart Laing, Terry Yarwood
Producer: Jack Crawshaw

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

Equestrian Life

from racing to show jumping

Timeline

the show's fifty year history

Terry Biddlecombe

Interviews

Bob Champion recalls his experience of This Is Your Life in an exclusive interview recorded in March 2010

Photographs and screenshots of Bob Champion This Is Your Life

Bob Champion recalls his experience of This Is Your Life in his autobiography, I'm Champion, Call Me Bob: My Story...

We got married on the 12th October 1981 and, in hindsight, our relationship was placed under pressure from day one. Literally. With so much happening in my life, the marriage and indeed the actual wedding itself was at the centre of a hectic whirlpool of attention and celebrity. We never really had a chance to spend time and learn about each other as most newlyweds do.

Going into the marriage I was of course convinced this was it for life. Not everyone it seemed shared my opinion, although only one person voiced it out loud. I went to see Val Ridgeway the morning of the wedding as I'd been racing the day before and had been badly bruised. Val was helping to get me back on my feet like she always did.

As I was leaving she said, "You're doing the wrong thing this afternoon, you know?"

Perhaps had more people spoken up they could have saved me from what turned out to be not such a happily ever after.

When I say the pressure started on day one, I mean it. The spotlight of publicity fell on us as we walked out of the church.

Not that I knew about it, but it had all been arranged for This Is Your Life to be filmed on that very afternoon.

Sally and Nigel, my friends who had made me the gift of the horseshoe at Aintree, were with me on the morning of the wedding and they walked to church with me. I remember asking them to walk either side of me as they were both taller than me and I hoped that they would screen me from the waiting press. Of course I didn't know at the time, but they were fully aware that Eamonn Andrews was waiting to pounce on me the moment the service was over and no amount of screening would work.

It's no longer on TV, but This Is Your Life was a huge deal back then. It was a show, for those who may never have seen it, which surprised a well-known person and told their life story through the memories of others. From parents to long lost friends to those that you might not have even realised you'd had an influence on. Looking back, it was a bit cheesy, but at the time it was a really nice thing to have happen and was a celebration of family and friends. You can find various episodes, mine included I suppose, if you look hard enough on YouTube. The surprise 'pouncing' on the subject person was key and there was a great deal of effort put into not letting the unsuspecting 'star' know they were to feature. They did it really well with me, I honestly had no idea. My only inkling had been that the marquee set up for the reception seemed a lot bigger than I had remembered us planning, but I figured Jo had decided to invite a few more friends and that was fine by me.

Although it was a lovely honour, I can't help but think that to have a TV show filmed on your wedding day was a bit weird. I was surprised, not only by being confronted by the big red book but also I didn't think many women would really want the focus of the day to be on the groom, but Jo had gone along with the whole thing and helped arrange it. I'm really pleased she did. It was a great day and to be fair, the filming didn't take too long.

The production company and all the crew knew what they were about and it flowed very smoothly. Obviously there were some very old friends and family in attendance and I was just relieved that I knew everyone that turned up. I was especially humbled when Burly Cocks and his wife, Babs, were brought in. They had come all the way from the States and said some really nice and heart-warming things about me. Not to be outdone, Ian Watkinson had travelled from Australia and probably had less nice things to say, but he had to behave for the cameras! I was very touched. I do remember looking across at Mary when she came in and whispering, "I'm not giving you a hug."

She shoved me and said, "I wasn't giving you one anyway, we're not the hugging type."

One of the other bonuses of the filming was that I didn't have to do all the standing in line to greet wedding guests! Funny that isn't it? I know some that would love all that, but I have to agree with Mary, I'm not the hugging type and standing in a line with people shaking your hand and most of them wanting a hug wasn't for me. Aside from the occasional peck on the cheek I'm not one for great shows of affection.

Scriptwriter Roy Bottomley recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in his book, This Is Your Life: The Story of Television's Famous Big Red Book...

Few of the nation's jockeys could summon the sheer guts and determination of a National Hunt jockey whose story touched all hearts.

Monday 12 October 1981, saw the Life team smuggled into the pretty Cotswold village of Chipping Camden. Bob Champion was getting married at the parish church of St James. Guests included Terry Biddlecombe, John Francome, Richard Pitman, Fred Winter, Lord John Oaksey, John Rickman and Josh Gifford. [Bigredbook.info editor: Lord John Oaksey does not appear in the broadcast version]

Wedding bells were ringing, confetti was being thrown, when an 'uninvited' guest, Eamonn Andrews, stepped forward outside the church. We recorded the programme in the wedding reception marquee.

That year, Bob Champion had not only won the Grand National, he had won a battle against cancer after being given just eight months to live.

Like something from a film script, his favourite horse, Aldaniti, had 'broken down' twice, having strained a tendon on the same foreleg on both occasions, and, like the jockey, seemed certain never to race again.

But in his hospital bed, fighting the cancer and undergoing the most painful treatments Bob Champion told trainer Josh Gifford, 'Never mind, Aldaniti and myself will just have to make our comeback together.'

From then on, his dream was to win the Grand National on his favourite horse. The odds against them doing it must have been incalculable.

But then so was the depth of bravery and determination of rider - and horse. They made it.

The Times article: Bob Champion This Is Your Life

The Times 13 October 1981

This is your wife... and This Is Your Life: Bob Champion (centre) this year's Grand National winner and his bride, Jo Beswick, aged 25, who is also a jockey, waylaid by Eamonn Andrews after their marriage yesterday.

The couple's plans for a quiet wedding night at a secret destination were thwarted as they left the church at Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, near the bride's home, when a television team arrived to make a programme for the famous television series about the jockey who conquered cancer.

Among those taking part in the programme were the jockeys Terry Biddlecombe, who married earlier this month, John Francome, and Bob Davies. Josh Gifford, who trained this year's National winner, and Fred Winter also took part.

Mr Champion said his wife's steeplechasing days were over. "One jockey in the family is enough", he said. "I do not approve of women jockeys and I do not want Jo to hurt herself."

The couple, who met seven years ago at a race, have no time for a honeymoon. Mr Champion, who recently rode his 400th winner, will be riding again tomorrow at Plumpton or Wetherby.

The Guardian article: Bob Champion This Is Your Life

The Guardian 13 October 1981

BOB Champion, who rode this year's Grand National winner Aldaniti married a woman jockey, Jo Beswick, at Chipping Camden, Gloucestershire, yesterday.

The couple who said they had planned a quiet wedding found themselves waylaid as they left the church by Eamonn Andrews and the This Is Your Life team. Bob Champion's riding career was interrupted by cancer. But he recovered and went on to win the National.

Best man was the ITV racing commentator Derek Thompson and the 25-year-old bride was given away by her brother Philip.

The couple are having no honeymoon. Bob, who recently rode his 400th winner, will be out again tomorrow.

Series 22 subjects