This Is Your Life: Mike Hailwood

Mike HAILWOOD MBE, GM (1940-1981)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Mike Hailwood, motorcycle racer and racing driver, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews during an interview at the Motor Show in London.

Mike, whose father was a former racer before he became a successful businessman and motorcycle dealer, had his first significant success in 1961 at the Isle of Man TT races. A nine-time world champion, Mike won 76 Grand Prix races during his motorcycle racing career, including 14 Isle of Man TT victories and four consecutive 500cc world championships.

After his motorcycle racing career ended, he competed in Formula One and other car racing classes, becoming one of the few men to compete at the Grand Prix level in motorcycle and car racing. After being badly injured at the 1974 German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring, he left Formula One and retired from racing.

"Jesus Christ! How embarrassing!"

programme details...

Edition No: 417
Subject No: 414
Broadcast date: Wed 26 Nov 1975
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Recorded: Wed 22 Oct 1975
Venue: Euston Road Studios
Series: 16
Edition: 3
Code name: Wheels

on the guest list...

Phil Kerr
Denny Hulme
Pauline - wife
Chris - sister
Lt Robert 'Tiger' Knights
John Ridgway - in audience
Chris Barber
Pam Ozwell
Bill Clegg
Jean Clegg
Geoff Duke
Luigi Taveri
Bill Lacey
Giacomo Agostini
John Surtees
Graham Hill
Michelle - daughter
David - son
Clay Regazzoni
The Chris Barber Band
Stan - father
Harry Woolridge
former workmates from the Triumph Factory in Coventry:
Eric Miller
Dorothy Jones
Jack Greasley
Ernie Wilkinson
Bert Paddock
Jack Bradford
Fred Watson

production team...

Researchers: Frank Hayes, Lavinia Warner
Writer: John Sandilands
Director: Royston Mayoh
Producer: Jack Crawshaw

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

Life at Full Throttle

the lovers of speed

the programme's icon

Pauline Hailwood, wife of Mike Hailwood, recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in an exclusive interview recorded in March 2017

Mike Hailwood This Is Your Life Big Red Book

Screenshots of Mike Hailwood This Is Your Life - and a photograph of Mike Hailwood's big red book

An extract from Motor Cycle News website 21 October 2018

40 year special: Mike Hailwood - the man and the bike

Four decades after engineering Mike Hailwood's TT comeback, former Mirror journalist Ted Macauley reveals the man behind the legend.

He was quite a shy man by nature, wasn't he?

Yes, he would much rather have a quiet night in with a few friends and a few vodka/lemonades than be at a party or a celebrity do. Even better, if he could sit in a corner and not be recognised and enjoy a great live jazz band, he was in his element. The last thing Mike was was showbiz, he had absolutely no interest in self-promotion. I was asked to set him up for This Is Your Life but I said there was no way I could get Mike to do that because he was too shy and retiring. They asked me to think on it and I finally decided we could trap him at the Motor Show in London. One of his old Surtees racing cars was on display so I got him to sit in it, knowing he'd be trapped. Sure enough, bang on cue, out comes Eamonn Andrews with the big red book and a cameraman following him. Mike said afterwards, "I'll never forgive you for that!"

Series 16 subjects