Des Lynam
Encyclopedia
Desmond Michael "Des" Lynam, OBE
(born 17 September 1942, Ennis
, County Clare
, Ireland
) is an Irish television and radio presenter based in the UK.
He has hosted television coverage of high profile events for many years. He has presented the popular shows, Grandstand
, Match of the Day
, Holiday
, How Do They Do That?
and Countdown
.
at the age of six. He recalled having a strong Irish accent at the time, but eventually lost it. He passed the eleven-plus in 1954, to attend Varndean
Grammar School
. After sitting his A-levels, he went into the insurance business, working as a salesman, where he remained for most of the 1960s.
He married Susan Skinner in 1965 and had one son, Patrick (born 1970); however by 1973 the marriage began to break down owing to Lynam's career and other commitments, and they divorced in 1974. Lynam has never remarried, but has lived with Rose Diamond, his long-time partner, for many years.
He is a supporter of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
radio in London, originally specialising in commentating on boxing, and went on to anchor Sport on Two and Sports Report
(1969–1978) on BBC Radio 2
. From 1974–1976 he co-presented the Today programme
on BBC Radio 4
on three mornings each week.
continuing until the series' ended in 1983, and then presented Grandstand
(1979–1991, occasionally until 1999), Sportsnight
(1991–1997) and Match of the Day
(1988–1999) on the BBC for many years, and also fronted BBC coverage of Wimbledon (highlights 1985-1990, main presenter 1991-1997 and 1999), the Grand National, the Football World Cup (1982–1998) and the Olympic Games
(1980–1996). As a broadcaster with the BBC he was present at the Hillsborough disaster
in 1989, whilst covering the game for Match of the Day. Throughout his time on the BBC, Lynam was praised for his witty and down-to-earth style. An example of this was after the BBC's 1998 World Cup coverage he narrated the famous Rudyard Kipling
poem "If" on the ending credits.
Lynam made a return to radio in 1986 to commentate for the BBC on the Frank Bruno
vs. Tim Witherspoon
WBA
Heavyweight World Title fight at Wembley Stadium on 19 July 1986. He also made a brief return to BBC Radio 2 in 1998, presenting the 5-7pm Drivetime show on Fridays only. Johnnie Walker
had started presenting the show Mondays - Thursdays.
in 1999, to present their live football
coverage, including coverage of the FA Premier League
and UEFA Champions League
. He decided to retire from presenting live sport after the Euro 2004 football championships. Soon afterwards the BBC announced that Lynam would present a new weekly radio programme, Des Meets..., on BBC Radio Five Live
from August 2004. He also covered Wimbledon 2005 for BBC Radio Five Live.
In 2002, the BBC released a CD of poems read by Lynam to music. 'Time to stand & stare' featured classic poems such as Rudyard Kipling
's 'If', and others written by Roald Dahl
, Sir John Betjeman
and Brian Patten
. The CD featured one of Lynam's own poems, "The Silly Isles", written about the Falklands War
.
In May 2005, Lynam presented the BBC1 programme 'We'll Meet Again', marking the 60th anniversary of VE Day and which celebrated the end of the second World War. The following month, he presented an episode of Have I Got News For You
on BBC1, the third time he had presented the show having been in the hot seat twice the previous year. In June and July 2005, he co-presented (with Sir David Frost
) the series The World's Greatest Sporting Legend on Sky One
.
On 3 October 2005 his autobiography was published, I Should Have Been at Work, a reference to when Lynam, during an England game that kicked off at 2pm on a Monday afternoon during the 1998 Football World Cup
finals, said to those watching "Shouldn't you be at work?". The book's most controversial passage concerns a small cat.
) of Channel 4
's Countdown
, with his first episode airing on 31 October. Although his contract was to last until December 2007, on 30 September 2006, it was announced that Lynam would leave Countdown at the end of 2006, because he regularly needed to travel to Leeds
where Countdown is recorded, while his home is in West Sussex
. It had previously been suggested that Countdown might move to London to suit Lynam better, but this was impractical as all of the programme's staff are based in Yorkshire. He was replaced by Des O'Connor
.
Since leaving Countdown, Lynam has appeared in Setanta Sports
' commercials for its coverage of the Premier League and hosted Sport Mastermind.
He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2008 New Year Honours
.
Lynam is also well known for his charitable work. Gillette famously donated a sizeable sum to a charity of Lynam's choice after he shaved off his trademark moustache, and in January 2008 he also pledged his support for donkey charity 'Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holy Land'.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 17 September 1942, Ennis
Ennis
Ennis is the county town of Clare in Ireland. Situated on the River Fergus, it lies north of Limerick and south of Galway. Its name is a shortening of the original ....
, County Clare
County Clare
-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
) is an Irish television and radio presenter based in the UK.
He has hosted television coverage of high profile events for many years. He has presented the popular shows, Grandstand
Grandstand (BBC)
Grandstand was a British television sport programme. Broadcast between 1958 and 2007, it was one of the BBC's longest running sports shows, alongside BBC Sports Personality of the Year.Its first presenter was Peter Dimmock...
, Match of the Day
Match of the Day
Match of the Day is the BBC's main football television programme. Typically, it is shown on BBC One on Saturday evenings during the English football season, showing highlights of the day's matches in English football's top division, the Premier League...
, Holiday
Holiday (TV series)
Holiday was a long-running UK television programme on BBC One, and was the oldest travel review show on UK television. It was aired on the channel from 1969 until 2007.-Overview:...
, How Do They Do That?
How Do They Do That?
How Do They Do That? is a British television show, produced by Reg Grundy Productions and broadcast on BBC1 from 1994 to 1997. Originally presented by Des Lynam and Jenny Hull, it explored feats of engineering, organization, and special effects...
and Countdown
Countdown (game show)
Countdown is a British game show involving word and number puzzles. It is produced by ITV Studios and broadcast on Channel 4. It is presented by Jeff Stelling, assisted by Rachel Riley, with regular lexicographer Susie Dent. It was the first programme to be aired on Channel 4, and over sixty-five...
.
Career
Desmond Michael Lynam moved with his family to BrightonBrighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
at the age of six. He recalled having a strong Irish accent at the time, but eventually lost it. He passed the eleven-plus in 1954, to attend Varndean
Varndean
Varndean is the name given to two separate educational establishments located on the hills to the north of Brighton in England:* Varndean Secondary School, for pupils aged 11 - 16 years* Varndean College, for students aged 16 and over...
Grammar School
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
. After sitting his A-levels, he went into the insurance business, working as a salesman, where he remained for most of the 1960s.
He married Susan Skinner in 1965 and had one son, Patrick (born 1970); however by 1973 the marriage began to break down owing to Lynam's career and other commitments, and they divorced in 1974. Lynam has never remarried, but has lived with Rose Diamond, his long-time partner, for many years.
He is a supporter of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
On the radio
He started his career in broadcasting as a freelance radio journalist, on BBC Radio Brighton (1968–1969). He quickly joined national BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio in London, originally specialising in commentating on boxing, and went on to anchor Sport on Two and Sports Report
Sports Report
Sports Report is one of the longest-running programmes on British radio. It started in the first week of 1948, and has always been aired from 5.00 to 6.00 p.m...
(1969–1978) on BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
. From 1974–1976 he co-presented the Today programme
Today programme
Today is BBC Radio 4's long-running early morning news and current affairs programme, now broadcast from 6.00 am to 9.00 am Monday to Friday, and 7.00 am to 9.00 am on Saturdays. It is also the most popular programme on Radio 4 and one of the BBC's most popular programmes across its radio networks...
on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
on three mornings each week.
BBC Television
He moved to television in 1977 starting off with Sportswide as part of NationwideNationwide (TV series)
Nationwide was a BBC News and Current affairs television programme broadcast on BBC One each weekday following the early evening news. It followed a magazine format, combining political analysis and discussion with consumer affairs, light entertainment and sports reporting...
continuing until the series' ended in 1983, and then presented Grandstand
Grandstand (BBC)
Grandstand was a British television sport programme. Broadcast between 1958 and 2007, it was one of the BBC's longest running sports shows, alongside BBC Sports Personality of the Year.Its first presenter was Peter Dimmock...
(1979–1991, occasionally until 1999), Sportsnight
Sportsnight
Sportsnight was a midweek BBC television sports programme that ran from 1968 until 1997.-Sportsview:Sportsnight was a successor to Sportsview which started on 8 April 1954. Sportsview was devised by Paul Fox, later Controller of BBC1 and Peter Dimmock was the original host for a decade...
(1991–1997) and Match of the Day
Match of the Day
Match of the Day is the BBC's main football television programme. Typically, it is shown on BBC One on Saturday evenings during the English football season, showing highlights of the day's matches in English football's top division, the Premier League...
(1988–1999) on the BBC for many years, and also fronted BBC coverage of Wimbledon (highlights 1985-1990, main presenter 1991-1997 and 1999), the Grand National, the Football World Cup (1982–1998) and the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
(1980–1996). As a broadcaster with the BBC he was present at the Hillsborough disaster
Hillsborough disaster
The Hillsborough disaster was a human crush that occurred on 15 April 1989 at Hillsborough, a football stadium, the home of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. in Sheffield, England, resulting in the deaths of 96 people, and 766 being injured, all fans of Liverpool F.C....
in 1989, whilst covering the game for Match of the Day. Throughout his time on the BBC, Lynam was praised for his witty and down-to-earth style. An example of this was after the BBC's 1998 World Cup coverage he narrated the famous Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
poem "If" on the ending credits.
Lynam made a return to radio in 1986 to commentate for the BBC on the Frank Bruno
Frank Bruno
Franklin Roy Bruno MBE is an English former boxer whose career highlight was winning the WBC Heavyweight championship in 1995. Altogether, he won 40 of his 45 contests...
vs. Tim Witherspoon
Tim Witherspoon
"Terrible" Tim Witherspoon is an American boxer who was twice world heavyweight champion.-Early career:Witherspoon had eight and a half amateur bouts, losing one to Marvis Frazier on decision after getting knocked down....
WBA
World Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
Heavyweight World Title fight at Wembley Stadium on 19 July 1986. He also made a brief return to BBC Radio 2 in 1998, presenting the 5-7pm Drivetime show on Fridays only. Johnnie Walker
Johnnie Walker (DJ)
Johnnie Walker MBE is a popular British veteran radio disc jockey and broadcaster....
had started presenting the show Mondays - Thursdays.
ITV
Lynam moved to ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
in 1999, to present their live football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
coverage, including coverage of the FA Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
and UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
. He decided to retire from presenting live sport after the Euro 2004 football championships. Soon afterwards the BBC announced that Lynam would present a new weekly radio programme, Des Meets..., on BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
from August 2004. He also covered Wimbledon 2005 for BBC Radio Five Live.
In 2002, the BBC released a CD of poems read by Lynam to music. 'Time to stand & stare' featured classic poems such as Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
's 'If', and others written by Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...
, Sir John Betjeman
John Betjeman
Sir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...
and Brian Patten
Brian Patten
-Background:Born near Liverpool's docks, he attended Sefton Park School in the Smithdown Road area of Liverpool, where he was noted for his essays and greatly encouraged in his work by Harry Sutcliffe his form teacher. He left school at fifteen and began work for The Bootle Times writing a column...
. The CD featured one of Lynam's own poems, "The Silly Isles", written about the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
.
In May 2005, Lynam presented the BBC1 programme 'We'll Meet Again', marking the 60th anniversary of VE Day and which celebrated the end of the second World War. The following month, he presented an episode of Have I Got News For You
Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
on BBC1, the third time he had presented the show having been in the hot seat twice the previous year. In June and July 2005, he co-presented (with Sir David Frost
David Frost (broadcaster)
Sir David Paradine Frost, OBE is a British journalist, comedian, writer, media personality and daytime TV game show host best known for his two decades as host of Through the Keyhole and serious interviews with various political figures, the most notable being Richard Nixon...
) the series The World's Greatest Sporting Legend on Sky One
Sky One
Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
.
On 3 October 2005 his autobiography was published, I Should Have Been at Work, a reference to when Lynam, during an England game that kicked off at 2pm on a Monday afternoon during the 1998 Football World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
finals, said to those watching "Shouldn't you be at work?". The book's most controversial passage concerns a small cat.
Countdown
On 22 September 2005, Lynam was named the host (replacing the late Richard WhiteleyRichard Whiteley
John Richard Whiteley, OBE DL , usually known as Richard Whiteley, was an English broadcaster and journalist. He was famous for his twenty-three years as host of Countdown, a letters and numbers arrangement game show broadcast most weekdays on Channel 4...
) of Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's Countdown
Countdown (game show)
Countdown is a British game show involving word and number puzzles. It is produced by ITV Studios and broadcast on Channel 4. It is presented by Jeff Stelling, assisted by Rachel Riley, with regular lexicographer Susie Dent. It was the first programme to be aired on Channel 4, and over sixty-five...
, with his first episode airing on 31 October. Although his contract was to last until December 2007, on 30 September 2006, it was announced that Lynam would leave Countdown at the end of 2006, because he regularly needed to travel to Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
where Countdown is recorded, while his home is in West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
. It had previously been suggested that Countdown might move to London to suit Lynam better, but this was impractical as all of the programme's staff are based in Yorkshire. He was replaced by Des O'Connor
Des O'Connor
Des O'Connor, CBE is an English comedian and singer. A former talkshow host, he was the presenter of the long-running Channel 4 gameshow Countdown for two years...
.
Since leaving Countdown, Lynam has appeared in Setanta Sports
Setanta Sports
Setanta Sports is an international sports broadcaster based in Dublin, Ireland. Setanta Sports was formed in 1990 to facilitate the broadcasting of Irish sporting events...
' commercials for its coverage of the Premier League and hosted Sport Mastermind.
He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2008 New Year Honours
New Year Honours 2008
The New Year Honours 2008 for the Commonwealth Realms were announced on 29 December 2007, to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 2008....
.
Lynam is also well known for his charitable work. Gillette famously donated a sizeable sum to a charity of Lynam's choice after he shaved off his trademark moustache, and in January 2008 he also pledged his support for donkey charity 'Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holy Land'.