This Is Your Life: Steve Redgrave

Steve REDGRAVE MBE (1962-)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Steve Redgrave, rower, was surprised by Michael Aspel - with the help of comedian Bob Monkhouse - while appearing on the National Lottery Live television programme at the BBC Television Centre in London.

Steve, who was born in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, excelled at sports at school and, having been encouraged by his English teacher to concentrate on rowing, joined the school's rowing team, winning various medals and trophies.

He won three Commonwealth Games gold medals and nine World Rowing Championships and, after winning gold medals at four consecutive Olympic Games from 1984 to 1996, became the greatest British Olympian in history.

programme details...

Edition No: 948
Subject No: 923
Broadcast date: Fri 20 Sep 1996
Broadcast time: 8.00-8.30pm
Recorded: Sat 14 Sep 1996
Venue: Teddington Studios
Series: 37
Edition: 1
Code name: Blade

on the guest list...

Fatima Whitbread
Adrian Moorhouse
Sean Kerly
Malcolm Cooper
Greg Searle
Jonny Searle
Garry Herbert
Tim Foster
Ben Ainslie
Jurgen Grobler
Matthew Pinsent
Ann - wife
Sheila - mother
Geoff - father
Natalie - daughter
Jane - sister
Christine - sister
Arthur Johns
Joan Pritchard
Craig Gibbons
Ben - nephew
Steph - niece
Roger Uttley
Francis Smith
David - brother-in-law
Joan Hayley
Clive Pope
Peter McConnell
Nicholas Baatz
Martin Cross
Richard Budgett
Roger Hatfield
Patrick Sweeney
Simon Berrisford
message from HRH The Princess Royal
Ian Desmond
Pertti Karppinen
Mike Spracklen
Ian Botham
Nick Faldo
Susan Hampshire

production team...

Researcher: Ruth Malone
Writer: Joe Steeples
Directors: Terry Kinane, Paul Kirrage
Associate Producer: Sue Green
Executive Producer: John Longley
Producer: John Graham

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

Going for Gold

celebrating the world's best

Ian Botham

Susan Hampshire

Matthew Pinsent

Screenshots of Steve Redgrave This Is Your Life

Steve Redgrave recalls his experience of This Is Your Life in his autobiography, A Golden Age...

I was asked to appear on the National Lottery show. There I got a major surprise. Or should have done. It all began when Ann and the children and I went down to Orlando after the Olympics. Athole Still's daughter Roxane had called the apartment we were at and spoken to Ann, who has a habit of doodling when she's on the phone. Without realizing it, she had written This Is Your Life on the pad. When I saw it, I didn't have to be a nuclear physicist to work out that I was due to become a recipient of Michael Aspel's big, red book.

That night in bed, I said casually, 'Oh, when are they going to record the programme?'

She said, 'What programme?' I said, 'This Is Your Life'.

'What are you talking about?'

I said: 'You wrote it on the pad?' Ann couldn't believe it. She thought she'd be in big trouble, because the subject isn't supposed to know in advance. I said that I wouldn't let on that I knew as long as she kept me informed about what was going on, because I hate surprises.

It was never mentioned again until several weeks later when a trailer for the programme appeared on TV. I asked if there had been any developments. Ann said 'no', and stupidly I believed her! That was on the Wednesday. On the Saturday, Matthew and I went down to Southampton for an event staged by Canada Life, our Olympic sponsors, and then appeared at the Boat Show for our boat manufacturers, Aylings. Finally, we were driven to the Lottery Live programme, on which we had been asked to appear. I thought it was a National Lottery car driving us around. But it wasn't, it was from This Is Your Life.

Bob Monkhouse was compering the Lottery Live programme. He was dropping hints all over the place, and I just did not pick up anything at all. He kept telling the audience that at three minutes past eight 'there's going to be a really big surprise, but I can't tell you much at the moment'. It really didn't click at all... until Michael Aspel walked in the door with his book. Then I knew it was for me. If I hadn't been forewarned, I would have assumed it was for someone else.

I was taken to Teddington, where the programme was recorded. I hadn't seen Ann all day. One of the first people they bring out is your wife. I went up to her, gave her a kiss and a hug, and whispered 'you bastard' in her ear. You could just about hear it, too.

I wouldn't have liked it if it had been a complete surprise and I have to say I did enjoy it. Fortunately, I recognized all the voices! The last guest they brought on was Pertti Karppinen, which was a nice touch. The story was told of how I met him for the first time in the drugs testing room in 1984 after our Olympic triumphs.

It was on the This Is Your Life programme that Ann confessed that she hoped I wouldn't carry on rowing and would lead a normal life - whatever that is - but by that time I had already made my mind up to aim for Sydney.

Series 37 subjects