Big Red Book
Celebrating television's This Is Your Life
Always looking to celebrate the lives of those at the top of their chosen track or field, This Is Your Life regularly featured sporting heroes and heroines deemed to be the best in the world – the Olympians… and Paralympians.
So, from runners, rowers and throwers to swimmers, sprinters and a skater, here is a look at those athletes who received the Big Red Book treatment...
![]() |
Mary PETERS 31 January 1973 The athlete, born in Lancashire but raised in Northern Ireland, who won gold in the pentathlon at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, was surprised by Eamonn. |
|
![]() |
![]() |
David HEMERY 8 May 1974 Eamonn surprised the athlete at Islington's Sobell Sports Centre, where the programme was then recorded. David won gold in the 400m hurdles at the 1968 Olympics, setting a new world record with 48.12 seconds and earning him the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award. Boxer Joe Bugner and athlete Alan Pascoe are among his guests. |
![]() |
![]() |
Precious MCKENZIE 2 April 1975 The South African-born weightlifter - who won Commonwealth titles representing both England and New Zealand and won several World powerlifting and Masters World powerlifting titles - was surprised by Eamonn at Al Murray's gym in the City of London. Olympic medal winners David Hemery and Mary Peters are on the guest list. |
![]() |
![]() |
Susan MASHAM 4 February 1976 Lady Masham - Paralympian, life peer and noted campaigner for causes related to disability - was surprised by Eamonn in the foyer of the De Vere hotel in London's Kensington district. |
![]() |
![]() |
Geoffrey CAPES 6 February 1980 The athlete - perhaps best known as a strongman, twice winning the title of World's Strongest Man - was surprised by Eamonn outside the New London Theatre. |
![]() |
![]() |
Robin COUSINS 26 March 1980 The figure skater - who was four times British National Champion, three times World Champion and the 1980 European and Olympic Champion - was surprised by Eamonn during a presentation in his hometown of Bristol. Robin's tribute includes a parade of past Olympians, including Harold Whitlock, then the oldest surviving medalist. |
![]() |
![]() |
Brian JACKS 21 January 1981 Eamonn donned a judo suit and enlisted the actor Brian Blessed to help surprise the Olympic judoka at the HQ of the London Judo Society. Brian won Britain's first medal for judo at a World Championship, taking a bronze in Salt Lake City in 1967, and gained a second bronze at the Munich Olympics in 1972. He achieved national fame on the BBC TV programme Superstars. |
![]() |
![]() |
Margaret PRICE 15 April 1981 Margaret - the holder of nine Paralympic medals - was surprised by Eamonn during a party to celebrate the International Year of the Disabled, at the Brompton Road headquarters of the Sports Council in London. |
![]() |
![]() |
Mike BRACE 13 January 1982 Mike - who lost his sight in a firework accident at the age of 10 - was surprised by Eamonn outside Bush House in London. A trained social worker, Mike first represented GB at cross-country skiing in the inaugural Winter Paralympic Games in 1976, and went on to compete in three World Championships, six Paralympic Games and two European Championships. |
![]() |
![]() |
Allan WELLS 29 December 1982 The Scottish athlete - who having previously won gold at the 1978 Commonwealth Games, became Olympic Champion in the 100 metres at the Moscow games in 1980 - was surprised by Eamonn at the Glasgow studios of Scottish Television. |
![]() |
![]() |
John HARRIS 22 January 1986 Eamonn deployed the help of boxer Henry Cooper to surprise the Welsh wheelchair athlete in the foyer of Thames Television's Euston Road Studios. |
![]() |
![]() |
Elizabeth MCCOLGAN 4 December 1991 Michael surprised the Scottish athlete in Dundee's Caird Hall at a dinner to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Grampian Television. Liz won gold for the 10,000 metres event at the 1991 World Championships, having won a silver medal over the same distance at the 1988 Olympics. Fellow athletes Kriss Akabusi and Roger Black are among those paying tribute. |
![]() |
![]() |
Tessa SANDERSON 18 November 1992 Michael enlisted the help of athlete Daley Thompson to catch up with Tessa during an aerobics class at Ashton on Mersey High School in Greater Manchester. |
![]() |
![]() |
Kriss AKABUSI 3 May 1995 His colleague from BBC Television's Record Breakers - Cheryl Baker - is on hand to help Michael surprise Kriss at Heathrow Airport. |
![]() |
![]() |
Steve REDGRAVE 20 September 1996 Michael gatecrashed a live broadcast of the National Lottery television programme - with permission from presenter Bob Monkhouse - to surprise the rower. |
![]() |
![]() |
Tanni GREY 13 December 1996 The Welsh-born wheelchair athlete was surprised by Michael on the set of BBC Television's A Question of Sport. |
![]() |
![]() |
Sally GUNNELL 29 September 1997 Michael travelled to Gateshead's International Stadium to surprise the retiring track-and-field athlete at her last athletic appearance. Sally - who won gold in the 400m hurdles at the 1992 Olympics and set the world record in the same event when she won gold in the 1993 World Championships - was greeted by fellow athletes Kriss Akabusi and David Hemery, among others. |
![]() |
![]() |
Duncan GOODHEW 19 January 1998 The former swimmer was surprised by Michael, appropriately enough, at a swimming pool during the launch of the fundraising BT Swimathon. Duncan won Olympic gold in the 100m breaststroke and bronze in the 4x100m medley at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. Among his guests are the former Minister for Sport Lord Moynihan and former athlete Mary Peters. |
![]() |
![]() |
Sharron DAVIES 28 September 1998 Michael's second swimmer of 1998 was surprised on dry land – at Cheltenham's General Hospital. Sharron won a silver medal in the 400m medley at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow and two gold medals at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton. Her guests include several fellow athletes and television personalities, Cheryl Baker and Vanessa Feltz. |
![]() |
![]() |
Roger BLACK 1 November 1999 Roger won individual silver medals in the 400 metres sprint at both the Olympics and World Championships, two individual gold medals at the European Championships, and 4x400 metres relay gold medals at both the World and European Championships. But Michael still managed to catch up with him at Heathrow Airport! |
![]() |
![]() |
Matthew PINSENT 9 November 2000 Michael surprised the Olympic rower at a celebration for the British Olympic Association at the London Aquarium. Matthew, who started rowing while studying at Eton College, had just earned his third consecutive Olympic gold medal in Sydney in 2000. |
![]() |
![]() |
Stephanie COOK 28 February 2002 Steph - a qualified doctor who had put her medical career on hold to compete in the women's modern pentathlon at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney - was surprised by Michael during a fashion shoot at the Lichfield photographic studios in London. |