Simon Lederman
Encyclopedia
Simon Lederman is a radio presenter on BBC London 94.9
. He presents a Saturday morning breakfast show with JoAnne Good
and is a regular presenter of the weekday breakfast show behind Paul Ross
, weekday Drivetime behind Eddie Nestor
, the weekday Vanessa Feltz
phone-in and a frequent cover presenter and contributor to the Robert Elms
programme. He has gained the nickname Captain Lentil due to his sometimes liberal views. He also presents the BBC Three Counties Radio breakfast show.
. Lederman's programme was mainly a phone-in, but also featured celebrity guests and newspaper reviewers. The most interactive part of the programme was the Bank Of Lights
. This was an apparently imaginary bank of lights where every listener had a bulb dedicated to them. Each time they switched on the radio, their light would light and then they would then get a mention. On some weeks Simon would offer listeners the chance to change the colour of their light bulb on their part of the bank - so often you would here a listener asking: "Can I have a blue bulb on the bank of lights?" for example.
He has worked with the following as co-presenters:
programme on BBC Radio 2
and also in the BBC's internal staff magazine Ariel for breaking the story that the London 2012 animated Olympics logo caused Epileptic attacks in some individuals.
Lederman told Jeremy Vine
on BBC Radio 2
:
"I met a man called Christopher Filmer one morning in Sutton
whilst working on another BBC project. Chris told me his girlfriend was in a nearby hospital after watching the news the previous evening. It was the previous evening that the animated Olympics logo had been unveiled. I checked out the possibility of a connection between the two events with the hospital and with Epilepsy Action
and had Mayor Of London Ken Livingstone
live in the studio on my Drivetime programme on BBC London 94.9 later that afternoon.
"I called Christopher that night and thanked him for being so open and I said his story would be on the front page of every newspaper the following day."
Ken Livingstone said: "The 2012 video is a catastrophic mistake, the firm which made the film should not be paid a penny. Who would go to a firm like that again to ask them to do that work?"
The story was featured prominently on most national front pages the following day:
BBC News
The Guardian
Daily Mail Reuters
The Independent
Daily Mirror
The Sun
The Daily Telegraph
In January 2011, Lederman broke the news that the famous saxophone solo on Gerry Rafferty
's hit song Baker Street
, played by Raphael Ravenscroft
, was out of tune - according to Ravenscroft himself.
When asked during a live radio interview on BBC London 94.9 by Lederman: "What do you think when you hear [the sax solo] now?", Ravenscroft replied: "I'm irritated because it's out of tune; yeah it's flat; by enough of a degree that it irritates me at best" and admitted he was "gutted" when he heard it back. He added he was not able to re-record the take as he was not involved when the song was mixed in London.
Shropshire Star
Yahoo News
Belfast Telegraph
Italian Press
Parade, broadcast in the UK and via satellite to tv stations across the Americas and beyond, and also online. He has also appeared during the 1990s in Central TV's 3 part drama The Guilty starring Michael Kitchen
and in the 1992 BBC drama Dead Romantic made at BBC
Pebble Mill. He also made an appearance in an advertisement for Mitchells and Butlers pubs in the Midlands and in 1996 for an advertisement for BBC Radio 5 Live
alongside David Mellor
.
The Mighty Boosh Lederman also appears in the official The Mighty Boosh
BBC DVD interviewing Julian Barratt
and Noel Fielding
. The video was shot on location at the BBC studios as part of a series of videos for The Mighty Boosh promotional tour.
It only appears in black and white. At the end of the interview Noel Fielding regrets having done an impersonation of Worzel Gummidge
.
National
Local/Regional
BBC London 94.9
BBC London 94.9 is London's BBC Local Radio station, and part of BBC London. Broadcasting across Greater London and beyond on 94.9 FM, DAB, Virgin Media Channel 930, Sky Channel 0152 and also online...
. He presents a Saturday morning breakfast show with JoAnne Good
JoAnne Good
JoAnne Dorothy Good is a British radio presenter, television presenter, broadcast journalist and actor.-Actor:As an actor, she is best known for her role as Carol Sands in the ITV soap Crossroads from 1982 to 1984. She played a schoolgirl in the 1978 cult British horror film Killer's Moon, and...
and is a regular presenter of the weekday breakfast show behind Paul Ross
Paul Ross
Paul Ross is an English television and radio presenter, journalist, and media personality. He is the son of Martha Ross and the elder brother of Jonathan Ross.-Early life:...
, weekday Drivetime behind Eddie Nestor
Eddie Nestor
Eddie Nestor is an English actor, stand up comedian, TV and radio presenter, who is best known for his starring roles in The Real McCoy and Desmonds, as well as playing a small role in Trainspotting.He hosted...
, the weekday Vanessa Feltz
Vanessa Feltz
Vanessa Jane Feltz is an English television personality, broadcaster and journalist. She currently presents an early morning radio show on BBC Radio 2, a mid morning phone-in show on BBC London 94.9. In 2011, she started hosting The Vanessa Show on Channel 5. The first series ended on June 24th...
phone-in and a frequent cover presenter and contributor to the Robert Elms
Robert Elms
Robert Elms is an English writer and broadcaster. Elms was a writer for The Face magazine in the 1980s, and has a self-confessed love of clothes and fashion...
programme. He has gained the nickname Captain Lentil due to his sometimes liberal views. He also presents the BBC Three Counties Radio breakfast show.
Late Night and the Bank Of Lights
Lederman previously presented a solo show on weekdays from 10pm-2am until April 2006, a slot subsequently presented by Jumoke Fashola, Big George and JoAnne GoodJoAnne Good
JoAnne Dorothy Good is a British radio presenter, television presenter, broadcast journalist and actor.-Actor:As an actor, she is best known for her role as Carol Sands in the ITV soap Crossroads from 1982 to 1984. She played a schoolgirl in the 1978 cult British horror film Killer's Moon, and...
. Lederman's programme was mainly a phone-in, but also featured celebrity guests and newspaper reviewers. The most interactive part of the programme was the Bank Of Lights
Bank Of Lights
The Bank Of Lights was a major part of the Simon Lederman Show on BBC London 94.9 and still appears from time to time.It was an apparently real but probably imaginary bank of lights where every listener had a bulb dedicated to them...
. This was an apparently imaginary bank of lights where every listener had a bulb dedicated to them. Each time they switched on the radio, their light would light and then they would then get a mention. On some weeks Simon would offer listeners the chance to change the colour of their light bulb on their part of the bank - so often you would here a listener asking: "Can I have a blue bulb on the bank of lights?" for example.
BBC Midlands Radio Network
During the 1990s Lederman presented the nine station BBC Midlands Radio late night network across the East and West Midlands, broadcast from Pebble Mill in Birmingham.Radio show formats
Lederman has hosted radio programmes mainly as a solo presenter. Formats have varied but include entertainment speech-based programmes, phone-in, news and interview based.He has worked with the following as co-presenters:
- broadcaster and writer Vanessa FeltzVanessa FeltzVanessa Jane Feltz is an English television personality, broadcaster and journalist. She currently presents an early morning radio show on BBC Radio 2, a mid morning phone-in show on BBC London 94.9. In 2011, she started hosting The Vanessa Show on Channel 5. The first series ended on June 24th...
- politician Edwina CurrieEdwina CurrieEdwina Jonesnée Cohen is a former British Member of Parliament. First elected as a Conservative Party MP in 1983, she was a Junior Health Minister for two years, before resigning in 1988 over the controversy over salmonella in eggs...
- writer and broadcaster Andrew GilliganAndrew GilliganAndrew Paul Gilligan is a British journalist best known for a 2003 report on BBC Radio 4's The Today Programme in which he said a British government briefing paper on Iraq and weapons of mass destruction had been 'sexed up', a claim that ultimately led to a public inquiry that criticised Gilligan...
- writer and former Tory spin doctor Amanda PlatellAmanda PlatellAmanda Jane Platell is a British-based Australian journalist, and from 1999 to 2001 was the press secretary to William Hague, the then leader of the British Conservative Party.-Early life:...
- tv presenter and former model Amanda LambAmanda LambAmanda Lamb was an English television presenter and former model.-Biography:Amanda Lamb was born in Portsmouth and now lives in London...
- double gold medal winning Olympic athlete Kelly HolmesKelly HolmesDame Kelly Holmes, DBE, MBE is a retired British middle distance athlete. She specialised in the 800 metres and 1500 metres events and won a gold medal for both distances at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens...
- tv presenter Gaby RoslinGaby RoslinGaby Roslin is an English television presenter and actress. She rose to fame while co-presenting The Big Breakfast on Channel 4 between 1992 and 1996, and also presented the BBC's Children in Need charity appeal from 1994 to 2004....
- tv presenter Jeni BarnettJeni BarnettJeni Barnett is an English actress and TV presenter who grew up in Borehamwood. She is married to Yorkshire-born actor Jim Bywater and has one daughter, Bethany.-Acting career:...
- Bam Bam (radio presenter)Bam Bam (radio presenter)Bam Bam , also known as Peter Jarrod, is a British radio personality. He lives in north London with his girlfriend Emma and their two children.-Career:...
- Birds of a Feather actress Linda RobsonLinda RobsonLinda Patricia Mary Robson is an English actress. She played Tracey in the BBC comedy, Birds of a Feather from 1989 to 1998.-Personal life and education:...
- Birds of a Feather actress Lesley JosephLesley JosephLesley D Joseph is an English actress and broadcaster.-Life and career:Joseph was born in Northampton. She is best known for starring in the BBC sitcom Birds of a Feather from 1989–1998, in which she played Dorien Green, the Jewish next-door neighbour of the main characters Sharon and Tracy...
- Eastenders actress and top 40 singer Michelle GayleMichelle GayleMichelle Patricia Gayle is a British recording artist, actress and author. Gayle had success as a Soul and R&B singer in the 1990s. She achieved seven Top 40 singles in the UK Singles Chart, her two biggest hits to date being "Sweetness" and "Do You Know"...
- tv presenter Julia BradburyJulia BradburyJulia Bradbury is an Irish-born British television presenter, best known for presenting the BBC One programme Countryfile and other documentaries and consumer affairs programmes.-Early years:...
- comedian Gina YashereGina YashereGina Obedapo Yashere is a British comedian of Nigerian descent.-Early life:Yashere was born in Bethnal Green, London, England. Her mother was an immigrant from Nigeria...
- BBC One tv continuity announcer Kath Melandri
- model and tv presenter Jayne MiddlemissJayne MiddlemissJayne Middlemiss is a London-based British television and radio presenter, originally from Northumberland. She began presenting music television shows such as The O-Zone and Top of the Pops in the mid '90s, before presenting a variety of other television and radio shows, including on BBC 6 Music...
- radio presenter and Crossroads actress JoAnne GoodJoAnne GoodJoAnne Dorothy Good is a British radio presenter, television presenter, broadcast journalist and actor.-Actor:As an actor, she is best known for her role as Carol Sands in the ITV soap Crossroads from 1982 to 1984. She played a schoolgirl in the 1978 cult British horror film Killer's Moon, and...
- tv presenter and journalist Lowri TurnerLowri TurnerLowri Gwyneth Turner is a British television presenter, journalist, nutritional therapist and hypnotherapist.-Personal life:...
2012 Olympics Logo
In June 2007 Simon Lederman was interviewed and credited on the Jeremy VineJeremy Vine
Jeremy Guy Vine is a British author, journalist and news presenter for the BBC. He is known for his direct interview style and exclusive reporting from war-torn areas throughout Africa...
programme 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...
and also in the BBC's internal staff magazine Ariel for breaking the story that the London 2012 animated Olympics logo caused Epileptic attacks in some individuals.
Lederman told Jeremy Vine
Jeremy Vine
Jeremy Guy Vine is a British author, journalist and news presenter for the BBC. He is known for his direct interview style and exclusive reporting from war-torn areas throughout Africa...
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...
:
"I met a man called Christopher Filmer one morning in Sutton
Sutton
-Places:Sutton, meaning 'south settlement' in Old English, is a very common place name. Places named Sutton include:-United Kingdom:In London:* London Borough of Sutton** which includes Sutton, London** historically Sutton Urban District...
whilst working on another BBC project. Chris told me his girlfriend was in a nearby hospital after watching the news the previous evening. It was the previous evening that the animated Olympics logo had been unveiled. I checked out the possibility of a connection between the two events with the hospital and with Epilepsy Action
Epilepsy Action
Epilepsy Action is a UK based charity providing information, advice and support for people with epilepsy.The organisation was founded in 1950 as the British Epilepsy Association and adopted Epilepsy Action as its working name in 2002....
and had Mayor Of London Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
live in the studio on my Drivetime programme on BBC London 94.9 later that afternoon.
"I called Christopher that night and thanked him for being so open and I said his story would be on the front page of every newspaper the following day."
Ken Livingstone said: "The 2012 video is a catastrophic mistake, the firm which made the film should not be paid a penny. Who would go to a firm like that again to ask them to do that work?"
The story was featured prominently on most national front pages the following day:
BBC News
The Guardian
Daily Mail Reuters
The Independent
Daily Mirror
The Sun
The Daily Telegraph
Gerry Rafferty's Baker Street
In January 2011, Lederman broke the news that the famous saxophone solo on Gerry Rafferty
Gerry Rafferty
Gerald "Gerry" Rafferty was a Scottish singer songwriter best known for his solo hits "Baker Street", "Right Down the Line", "Days Gone Down", "Night Owl", "Get It Right Next Time", and with the band Stealers Wheel, "Stuck in the Middle with You". Rafferty was born into a working-class family in...
's hit song Baker Street
Baker Street
Baker Street is a street in the Marylebone district of the City of Westminster in London. It is named after builder William Baker, who laid the street out in the 18th century. The street is most famous for its connection to the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, who lived at a fictional 221B...
, played by Raphael Ravenscroft
Raphael Ravenscroft
Raphael Ravenscroft is a Scottish saxophonist and author on saxophone play. He now resides in Exeter, Devon, England.He is best known for his work with Gerry Rafferty, performing the saxophone solo on "Baker Street". Ravenscroft was paid £27 for the session, with a cheque that bounced...
, was out of tune - according to Ravenscroft himself.
When asked during a live radio interview on BBC London 94.9 by Lederman: "What do you think when you hear [the sax solo] now?", Ravenscroft replied: "I'm irritated because it's out of tune; yeah it's flat; by enough of a degree that it irritates me at best" and admitted he was "gutted" when he heard it back. He added he was not able to re-record the take as he was not involved when the song was mixed in London.
Shropshire Star
Yahoo News
Belfast Telegraph
Italian Press
Television
Lederman has hosted worldwide tv coverage of the London New Year's DayNew Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
Parade, broadcast in the UK and via satellite to tv stations across the Americas and beyond, and also online. He has also appeared during the 1990s in Central TV's 3 part drama The Guilty starring Michael Kitchen
Michael Kitchen
Michael Kitchen is an English actor and television producer, best known for his starring role as DCS Foyle in the British TV series Foyle's War.-Early life:...
and in the 1992 BBC drama Dead Romantic made at BBC
BBC
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...
Pebble Mill. He also made an appearance in an advertisement for Mitchells and Butlers pubs in the Midlands and in 1996 for an advertisement for BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
alongside David Mellor
David Mellor
David John Mellor, QC is a British politician, non-practising barrister, broadcaster, journalist and football pundit. A member of the Conservative Party, he served in the Cabinet of Prime Minister John Major as Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Secretary of State for National Heritage , before...
.
The Mighty Boosh Lederman also appears in the official The Mighty Boosh
The Mighty Boosh
The Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from three stage shows and a six episode radio series, it has since spawned a total of twenty television episodes for BBC Three and two live tours of the UK, as well as two live shows in the...
BBC DVD interviewing Julian Barratt
Julian Barratt
Julian Barratt is an English comedian, musician, music producer and actor. Barratt is best known for playing the character of Howard Moon in the cult comedy The Mighty Boosh, which he also co-writes with comedy partner, Noel Fielding.-The Mighty Boosh:Barratt stars as the character Howard Moon...
and Noel Fielding
Noel Fielding
Noel Fielding is a British artist, comedian and actor. He is known for his roles as Vince Noir in The Mighty Boosh, which he co-writes with comedy partner Julian Barratt, and as team captain on the music panel show Never Mind the Buzzcocks.-Stand-up comedy:Noel Fielding performed regularly as a...
. The video was shot on location at the BBC studios as part of a series of videos for The Mighty Boosh promotional tour.
It only appears in black and white. At the end of the interview Noel Fielding regrets having done an impersonation of Worzel Gummidge
Worzel Gummidge
Worzel Gummidge is a British children's fictional character who originally appeared in a series of books by the novelist Barbara Euphan Todd. A walking, talking scarecrow, Gummidge has a set of interchangeable turnip, mangel worzel and swede heads, each of which suit a particular occasion or endow...
.
Other engagements
Lederman was Managing Editor of BBC Radio WM at Pebble Mill and has broadcast on the following UK radio stations:National
- BBC Radio 5 LiveBBC Radio 5 LiveBBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
- BBC Asian NetworkBBC Asian NetworkBBC Asian Network is a British radio station serving those originating from and around the Indian subcontinent. The music and news comes out of the main urban areas where there are significant communities with these backgrounds. The station has production centres in Birmingham, Leicester and London...
Local/Regional
- BBC Coventry and Warwickshire
- BBC Radio DerbyBBC Radio DerbyBBC Radio Derby is the BBC Local Radio station for the English county of Derbyshire, covering all but the northern tip of the county, and also serves eastern Staffordshire, mainly Uttoxeter and Burton upon Trent. The station broadcasts from its studios in Derby on 104.5, 95.3 and 96.0 FM and 1116...
- BBC GLR
- BBC Hereford and WorcesterBBC Hereford and WorcesterBBC Hereford and Worcester is the BBC Local Radio service for the English counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire. It broadcasts from its studios in both Worcester and Hereford on 104 , 104.4 104.6 and 94.7 FM; as well as 738 and 1584 MW on AM...
- BBC Radio LeicesterBBC Radio LeicesterBBC Radio Leicester is the BBC Local Radio service for the English counties of Leicestershire and Rutland. The station broadcasts from studios in Leicester on 104.9 FM, on DAB, and via the BBC iPlayer.-History:...
- BBC Radio LincolnshireBBC Radio LincolnshireBBC Lincolnshire is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Lincolnshire — apart from the northern parts, which are covered by BBC Radio Humberside...
- BBC London Live
- BBC Radio NottinghamBBC Radio NottinghamBBC Radio Nottingham is a BBC Local Radio station serving the English county of Nottinghamshire. It broadcasts on FM, AM, and digital DAB radio from studios located on London Road in Nottingham city centre.-Transmission frequences:...
- BBC Radio ShropshireBBC Radio ShropshireBBC Radio Shropshire is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Shropshire. Launched on 23 April 1985 it broadcasts from its studios in Shrewsbury on 96 , 90 , 95 , 104.1 FM and DAB...
- BBC Radio StokeBBC Radio StokeBBC Radio Stoke is a BBC Local Radio station in England, for the area of North and Mid Staffordshire, north east Shropshire and South Cheshire. The station began broadcasting programmes on 14 March 1968 as BBC Radio Stoke-on-Trent....
- BBC Three Counties RadioBBC Three Counties RadioBBC Three Counties Radio is the BBC Local Radio service for the English counties of Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire...
- BBC Radio WM
- Beacon Radio
- BRMBBrmbbrmb is a local radio station based in Birmingham, UK, owned and operated by Orion Media. The station broadcasts on 96.4 FM, DAB Digital Radio in the West Midlands and online...
- Xtra AMXtra AMXtra AM was a United Kingdom radio station which was on the air between 1989 and 1998. It was broadcast to much of Birmingham, Coventry and Warwickshire and was the 'oldies' station which took over the mediumwave frequencies of both BRMB and Mercia FM...
External Links/Sources
- Simon Lederman's Facebook page
- Profile on Simon Lederman
- Andrew Gilligan's article in London Evening Standard
- Michael Jackson was born with it - Simon Lederman interviews Tito Jackson
- Simon Lederman and Lowri Turner present breakfast show whilst Lowri breast feeds 2 days old baby
- Interview with Russell Grant