Kent Walton
Encyclopedia
Kent Walton born Kenneth Walton Beckett, was a British television sports commentator and presenter.
Despite a transatlantic accent which led many to believe he was Canadian, he was born in Cairo
, Egypt, the son of the finance minister in the colonial government. He grew up at Haslemere
in Surrey and went to Charterhouse School
.
He attended the Embassy School of Acting
in London and appeared in rep
. On the outbreak of war in 1939, he joined the Royal Air Force
, serving in Bomber Command
as a radio operator and front gunner. He acquired his accent mixing with Canadian airmen.
After the end of the war he returned to acting before commentating on tennis
and football
. He made his television wrestling
commentary debut on the ITV
network in November 1955, a job he kept for 33 years. At its peak in the 1970s, ITV's wrestling coverage, on World of Sport
, could command up to 12 million between the football half-time and full-time results (4-4.40pm) on Saturdays. Although fans of ITV's wrestling coverage reportedly included The Queen
, The Duke of Edinburgh
, the Queen Mother
and Margaret Thatcher
, enthusiasm was not shared by ITV's Head of Sport, Greg Dyke
and in 1988 he dropped the sport, a blow from which it never recovered.
Kent Walton was a disc jockey
on Radio Luxembourg
, and for a time presented two music TV shows, Honey Hit Parade and Cool for Cats
. In the early sixties, he acted as a judge on Thank Your Lucky Stars
on ITV.
In the early 1970s he was involved with British sexploitation
movies and is credited as a producer of:
He used other pseudonyms to keep this part of his life from his fans, but it was revealed in a 1975 episode of the TV documentary series Man Alive
.
Walton married Lynn Smith in 1949, and they had a son.
Despite a transatlantic accent which led many to believe he was Canadian, he was born in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Egypt, the son of the finance minister in the colonial government. He grew up at Haslemere
Haslemere
Haslemere is a town in Surrey, England, close to the border with both Hampshire and West Sussex. The major road between London and Portsmouth, the A3, lies to the west, and a branch of the River Wey to the south. Haslemere is approximately south-west of Guildford.Haslemere is surrounded by hills,...
in Surrey and went to Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
.
He attended the Embassy School of Acting
Embassy Theatre (London)
The Embassy Theatre is a theatre at 64, Eton Avenue, Swiss Cottage, London.- Early years :The Embassy Theatre was opened as a repertory company in September 1928 on the initiative of Sybil Arundale and Herbert Jay., when the premises of Hampstead Conservatoire of Music were adapted by architect...
in London and appeared in rep
Repertory
Repertory or rep, also called stock in the United States, is a term used in Western theatre and opera.A repertory theatre can be a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation...
. On the outbreak of war in 1939, he joined the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, serving in Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
as a radio operator and front gunner. He acquired his accent mixing with Canadian airmen.
After the end of the war he returned to acting before commentating on tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
and 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...
. He made his television wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
commentary debut on the ITV
ITV
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...
network in November 1955, a job he kept for 33 years. At its peak in the 1970s, ITV's wrestling coverage, on World of Sport
World of Sport (UK TV series)
World of Sport was a British television sport anthology programme which ran on ITV between 2 January 1965 to 28 September 1985 in response to competition from BBC's Grandstand...
, could command up to 12 million between the football half-time and full-time results (4-4.40pm) on Saturdays. Although fans of ITV's wrestling coverage reportedly included The Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, The Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
, the Queen Mother
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
and Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
, enthusiasm was not shared by ITV's Head of Sport, Greg Dyke
Greg Dyke
Gregory "Greg" Dyke is a British media executive, journalist and broadcaster. Since the 1960s, Dyke has a long career in the UK in print and then broadcast journalism. He is credited with introducing 'tabloid' television to British broadcasting, and reviving the ratings of TV-am...
and in 1988 he dropped the sport, a blow from which it never recovered.
Kent Walton was a disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
on Radio Luxembourg
Radio Luxembourg (English)
Radio Luxembourg is a commercial broadcaster in many languages from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is nowadays known in most non-English languages as RTL ....
, and for a time presented two music TV shows, Honey Hit Parade and Cool for Cats
Cool For Cats (TV show)
Cool For Cats was one of the first shows on British TV to feature music for a teenage audience. It was produced by Associated Rediffusion, part of the ITV network, and ran from December 1956 to February 1961....
. In the early sixties, he acted as a judge on Thank Your Lucky Stars
Thank Your Lucky Stars (TV series)
Thank Your Lucky Stars was a British television pop music show made by ABC Television, and broadcast on ITV from 1961 to 1966. Many of the top bands performed on it, and for millions of British teenagers it was essential viewing...
on ITV.
In the early 1970s he was involved with British sexploitation
Sexploitation
Sexploitation, or "sex-exploitation", describes a class of independently produced, low-budget feature films generally associated with the 1960s and serving largely as a vehicle for the exhibition of non-explicit sexual situations and gratuitous nudity. The genre is a subgenre of exploitation films...
movies and is credited as a producer of:
- It's the Only Way to Go (1970)
- Clinic Exclusive, aka Clinic Xclusive, aka With These Hands (1971)
- Virgin WitchVirgin WitchVirgin Witch is a 1971 British horror exploitation film about a prospective model who ends up joining a coven of witches. The film was directed by Ray Austin, and stars Ann Michelle and Vicki Michelle.-Plot:...
, aka Lesbian Twins (1972)
He used other pseudonyms to keep this part of his life from his fans, but it was revealed in a 1975 episode of the TV documentary series Man Alive
Man Alive BBC TV
Man Alive is a documentary and current affairs series which ran on BBC2 between 1965 and 1981. During that time there were nearly 500 programmes tackling a range of social and political issues, both in the UK and abroad...
.
Walton married Lynn Smith in 1949, and they had a son.
Awards and accomplishments
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2011)Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameThe Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to the sport. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is not...
External links
- Kent Walton obituary at The Daily Telegraph August 27, 2003
- Kent Walton obituary at The Guardian September 8, 2003