Big Red Book
Celebrating television's This Is Your Life
Nick ROSS (1947-)
THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Nick Ross, broadcaster and journalist, was surprised by Michael Aspel outside Clear Cut Pictures, a television editing suite in west London, where he had been editing a film for the BBC television programme Crimewatch.
Nick, who was born in Hampstead, London, studied English and Psychology at Queen's University in Belfast. While at university, he began working for the BBC, reporting on the violence during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. In 1971 he was invited to become a reporter on BBC Radio 4's The World at One and later went on to present the station's PM and The World Tonight programmes.
He moved into television in 1979 as a reporter for BBC2's Man Alive. He later became a founding presenter of Britain's first breakfast television programme, BBC Breakfast Time, which launched in 1983 and co-host of another groundbreaking BBC programme, Crimewatch, which began a year later.
"I don't believe it! You swine! Well and truly nicked!"
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What the website does not seem to look into is the sometimes hidden secret about This Is Your Life: that some well-known people didn't want to go on it. You might have thought being presented with the red book was hugely flattering, but in reality not all celebrities have earned celebrity by being extroverts. Some, athletes, for example, had fame thrust upon them; and even journalists and other factual broadcasters are not natural showbiz types, more comfortable with interviewing others or storytelling to a camera lens than performing on a stage. Others simply resented being ambushed. It's well known that the footballer Danny Blanchflower refused to appear and that author Richard Gordon and comedian Bill Oddie also said no, although they both later changed their minds. I am sure many others were reluctant to take part.
In my own case, and long before I was waylaid by Michael Aspel, my wife had casually inquired what she should say if approached by a show like This Is Your Life. I thought about it and said no, I'd rather not, and promptly forgot about the conversation. So when a year or so later a police car raced up to me as I emerged from a Crimewatch cutting room and Michael Aspel leapt out brandishing the book I was not just dumbfounded but, to be honest, appalled. That sounds ungenerous – after all a lot of people had gone to a lot of trouble making a show that was entirely flattering and celebratory – but I felt I was being dragged without consent into a circus ring. I made excuses not to go with Michael to TV Centre and travelled home, hugely undecided. When my wife rang, pretending nothing unusual was going on, I pretended just the same – until she told me the whole studio was waiting and I grudgingly relented.
As no doubt with Richard Gordon or Bill Oddie, the joke was on me. As soon as the door in the studio set slid open and I walked into the lights it was clear my reluctance had been absurdly self-indulgent. My whole family had gathered, friends and colleagues from decades past, even an old teacher – and there was the home secretary - all singing my praises. What's not to like? It turned out to be quite the joyous occasion it looks like on the telly.
But I think you'd be surprised how many people, like I did, had reservations.
Series 42 subjects
Michael Winner | Shaun Williamson | Paddy Ashdown | Tim Smit | Babs Powell | Saeed Jaffrey | Paul Young | Julian Clary