Big Red Book
Celebrating television's This Is Your Life
Derek JAMESON (1929-2012)
THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Derek Jameson, journalist and broadcaster, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews - disguised as a newspaper vendor - on Fleet Street in London after his taxi 'broke down' on his way to dinner at the El Vino wine bar.
Derek, who was born to an unmarried mother in London's East End, grew up in a boarding house in Clapton before being evacuated to Bishop's Stortford during the Second World War. He began his career in Fleet Street as a 14-year-old messenger boy at Reuters before becoming a trainee reporter in 1946. After his national service, Derek returned to Reuters as a sub-editor, then became editor of London American magazine before joining the Daily Express in 1961.
His other roles in Fleet Street included assistant editor of the Daily Mirror from 1965, then the paper's northern editor from 1972, editor of the Daily Express from 1977, editor-in-chief of the newly launched Daily Star in 1979, and editor of News of the World in 1981. After leaving Fleet Street in 1984, he moved into broadcasting, with a regular spot on ITV's TV-AM, presenting the BBC programme Do They Mean Us? and joining BBC Radio 2 the following year.
"Good lord! I don't believe it! Well, Eamonn - you got me banged to rights!"
programme details...
- Edition No: 696
- Subject No: 691
- Broadcast date: Wed 19 Feb 1986
- Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
- Recorded: Tue 11 Feb 1986
- Venue: Royalty Theatre
- Series: 26
- Edition: 18
- Code name: Street
on the guest list...
- Sir Larry Lamb
- Philippa Kennedy
- Charles Wintour
- Marjorie Proops
- Ken Bennett
- Jill Dykes
- Alix Palmer
- Craig MacKenzie
- Kit Miller
- Samantha Fox
- Mike Read
- Ray Moore
- Ken Bruce
- David Hamilton
- Gloria Hunniford
- Jimmy Young
- Nick Owen
- Anne Diamond
- Ellen Petrie - partner
- Peter - son
- Joanna - Peter's partner
- Barbara - daughter
- John - son-in-law
- Paula - granddaughter
- Ben - son
- Dan - son
- Elsie - mother
- Bill - stepfather
- Marilyn - half-sister
- Sarah - half-niece
- Charlie Sinclair
- Jean - sister
- Gerry - brother-in-law
- Jack Elliott
- Chris Elliott
- Maurice Elliott
- Lenny Frost
- Ronnie Bedford
- Robert Maxwell
- Stan Shadbot Filmed tributes:
- Nell Elliott
- Bob Guccione
- David Frost
related appearances...
- Russell Grant - Feb 1985
- William Roache - Oct 1985
- Monty Fresco - Nov 1986
- Barbara Taylor Bradford - Jan 1990
- The Night of 1000 Lives - Jan 2000
production team...
- Researchers: Miriam O'Callaghan, Tom Wettengel
- Writer: Roy Bottomley
- Directors: Terry Yarwood, Michael D Kent
- Associate Producer: Brian Klein
- Producer: Malcolm Morris
- names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life
headlining Fleet Street's finest
a celebration of a thousand editions
the programme's relaunch
TV Times feature on some bizarre outfits
Screenshots of Derek Jameson This Is Your Life
On 11 February 1986, Derek Jameson, the former Fleet Street editor, was about to embark on presenting Radio Two's morning show. His regular spot on TV-AM, with Anne Diamond and Nick Owen, had established a firm following, though Gloria Hunniford offered the view that it was only because the gravel-voiced Cockney had been having elocution lessons from Henry Cooper.
Born in London's East End, son of an unmarried mother who scraped a living working in a laundry, Derek had started work as a fourteen-year-old messenger boy at Reuter's. He had gone on to hold the editorship of no fewer than four national newspapers, so where better to surprise him than in Fleet Street.
As he walked down the famous street in the gloom of that winter evening he spotted a newspaper billboard for the Evening Standard. 'Big Surprise For Fleet Street's Derek Jameson!' it declaimed. The surprise was that Eamonn was the newsvendor.
Also surprised was a genuine passer-by who offered a pound coin and found a newspaper thrust at her with the words, 'Forget the money!' Derek had that very moment strolled into view.
At our television theatre, just around the corner in Kingsway, waited some of Fleet Street's finest: Sir Larry Lamb, Philippa Kennedy, Charles Wintour, Marjorie Proops and the former Page Three Girl Samantha Fox.
From his new career in radio were Mike Read, Ray Moore, Ken Bruce, David Hamilton, Jimmy Young and Gloria Hunniford.
From New York there was a rare sighting, and greeting, from the boss of the multi-million Penthouse empire Bob Guccione, Derek's cartoonist in 1960 when Derek edited the London American, and whose offer of a partnership he had turned down. A bare cheek.
We had one more Life to film in London before setting off for Los Angeles and it was to be a lad himself, Derek Jameson. We decided on a tricky but effective way to surprise him by getting one of his friends to meet him for a late lunch on the day and then take a taxi back to the office through Fleet Street. The taxi was in our pay and was briefed to break down at a certain point of the street. In the meantime Eamonn was dressed as a news vendor on the corner, selling the late edition of the Evening Standard. By his side was the headline board which shouted in large black print: 'BIG SURPRISE FOR DEREK JAMESON'. Eamonn was also holding a phoney edition of the Evening Standard which said, 'Derek Jameson, This Is Your Life'. Eamonn, of course, was hidden in a high collared raincoat topped with heavy cap and glasses.
All was going well. Eamonn was in place and I was holding the book out of sight behind him. Yes! There was the taxi and it had stopped; an irate Jameson got out and was heading our way just as a very sweet lady came over and asked Eamonn for an Evening Standard, not an unreasonable request, really. Eamonn didn't have a real paper but I did. I offered it to her and she accepted it, giving me a pound. I didn't have any change so I said it would be all right if she just took the paper with my complements. Derek was almost at our corner.
'No,' she said, and insisted on paying, but then she asked for change.
'Not to worry, madam, please have this copy with our compliments,' I said.
'No, I couldn't take it without paying for it,' she said firmly.
There were only seconds to go now and I had to do the drastic thing. I pushed a paper into her hands and said, 'There you are, madam, now shove off!'
She marched away furious but left Eamonn free to throw the surprise at Derek.
If that lady should by any chance read this, please accept my sincere apologies for being so rude.
Series 26 subjects
William Roache | Dennis Taylor | Elisabeth Welch | Sheila Mercier | Richard Branson | Maurice Denham | David EllawayTerry O'Neill | Gerry Marsden | Joyce Carey | Chas n Dave | Oliver Reed | Felix Bowness | John Harris | Bonnie Langford
Henry Cotton | June McElnea | Derek Jameson | Richard Vernon | Martyn Lewis | Peter Shilton | Ted Rogers
Simon Williams | Larry Slater | Lena Kennedy | Denis Quilley