Big Red Book
Celebrating television's This Is Your Life
Cliff MORGAN CVO, OBE (1930-2013)
THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Cliff Morgan, former rugby player and television executive, was surprised by Michael Aspel - with the help of a group of show business and sporting celebrities - at the London Welsh Rugby Club headquarters in Richmond, having been led to believe he was there for a photo call.
Cliff, who was born in Trabanach, a mining village in south Wales, first played rugby at school. He attended Cardiff University to study medicine but abandoned his studies early to work as a trainee accountant at the South Wales Electricity Board to pursue his dream of playing rugby. His first of 29 caps for Wales was against Ireland in 1951, aged 20.
Following his final season in 1958, and hailed as the greatest outside half of his day, Cliff was invited to present Sports Report for BBC Wales before moving to London in 1961 to become editor of Grandstand and Sportsview. In 1964, he became producer of ITV’s This Week before returning to the BBC as Executive Editor of BBC Radio Sport. From 1975 until his retirement in 1987, he was Head of Outside Broadcasting and Royal Liaison Officer for BBC Television.
programme details...
- Edition No: 748
- Subject No: 741
- Broadcast date: Wed 28 Dec 1988
- Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
- Recorded: Wed 7 Dec 1988
- Venue: Teddington Studios
- Series: 29
- Edition: 11
- Code name: Face
on the guest list...
- Ruth Madoc
- Gloria Hunniford
- Nerys Hughes
- Desmond Lynam
- Bill McLaren
- John Howard Davies
- Harry Secombe
- Spike Milligan
- Owain Arwel Hughes
- Dan Maskell
- Barry Davies
- Brian Johnston
- Emlyn Hughes
- Ian Robertson
- Sian Phillips
- Geraint Evans
- Peter Griffiths
- Peter Jones
- Nigel Starmer-Smith
- Alun Williams
- Harry Carpenter
- David Coleman
- Peter Dimmock
- John Bromley
- Bob Burrows
- Ronald Allison
- Alastair Burnet
- Nuala - wife
- Catherine - daughter
- Nick - son
- John Williams
- Susan Williams
- Sarah Williams
- Nicky Williams
- Larkey O'Brien
- Nuala O'Brien
- Alec O'Driscoll
- Sylvia O'Driscoll
- Mary Clancy
- Joe Clancy
- Ron Thomas - uncle
- Iris Thomas - aunt
- Trevor Jones
- Haydn Evans
- Conlais Evans
- Dr Jack Matthews
- Gerwyn Williams
- Ken Jones
- Bleddyn Williams
- Malcolm Thomas
- Rex Willis
- Gareth Edwards
- Maureen Edwards
- Neil Kinnock
- Glenys Kinnock
- Angus Cameron
- Cecil Pedlow
- Phil Davies
- Jeff Butterfield
- Dickie Jeeps
- Billy Williams
- Bryn Meredith
- Courtney Meredith
- Rhys Williams
- Russell Robins
- Jimmy Greenwood
- Robin Thompson
- Johnny Williams
- Jack Siggins
- Jack - grandson
- Jack Kyle
- Treorchy Male Choir Filmed tributes:
- George Thomas, Lord Tonypandy
- Tony O'Reilly
related appearances...
- Jack Petersen - Dec 1957
- Barry John - Jan 1972
- Bill Griffiths - Nov 1972
- Gareth Edwards - Apr 1976
- Margaret Price - Apr 1981
- George Thomas - Dec 1983
- Spike Milligan - Feb 1995
production team...
- Researcher: Claire Jenkinson
- Writer: Norman Giller
- Directors: Brian Klein, David Clark
- Producer: Malcolm Morris
- names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life
tackling rugby's top names
the genesis of the programme
the producers who steered the programme's success
Screenshots of Cliff Morgan This Is Your Life
Series 29 subjects
Mickey Rooney | Phil Collins | Paul Daniels | Tom Finney | Esther Rantzen | Richard Todd | Engelbert HumperdinckBarry McGuigan | Robert Maxwell | Harry Corbett | Cliff Morgan | Roy Hudd | Claire Rayner | Cyril Bertram Mills
Dora Bryan | Margaret Hayles | Denis Healey | Gillian Lynne | Nigel Mansell | Su Pollard