Garry Richardson
Encyclopedia
Garry Richardson is a British radio presenter. He presents the Sunday morning sports programme Sportsweek
on BBC Radio 5 Live
and is also a sports presenter on the Today show on BBC Radio 4
.
. He had previously been a youth player at Reading
and Southampton
football clubs but quickly realised that he was unlikely to become a professional footballer.
He gave his first sports report on national radio in 1981 as a 'cub' reporter, introduced by Todays co-presenter Brian Redhead
for the match between Nottingham Forest
and Manchester United
. Under the tutorship of Tony Adamson, Bryon Butler
and the commentator Peter Jones, Richardson rose to become the regular sports reporter on the show, a role he has assumed for over 20 years.
Richardson also presents the Sunday morning sports programme Sportsweek
on BBC Radio 5 Live
. He is known for presenting the show with a slightly aggressive interview style, with the hope of gaining valuable information from his guests. He has stated that he believes in asking the same question three times if he has not received a response, a style also favoured by fellow journalists Jeremy Paxman
and John Humphrys
. The show won a Sony Gold Award in 2007 for Best Sports Programme. The show was nominated in the same category in the 2009 awards but lost out to 5 Live's coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics
(Olympic Breakfast (gold) and Olympic Sportsworld (bronze)) and also The Football Forum (silver).
He began presenting a sports sketch and interview show, Look Away Now
, for BBC Radio 4 in 2007.
, who requested the interview be restarted when he cast aspersions on her ability to play at Wimbledon. He has also conducted interviews with former South Africa
n president Nelson Mandela
and Hansie Cronje
, the South African cricket captain.
During a rain delay at Wimbledon, Richardson got a note through to President of the United States
Bill Clinton
and persuaded him to give an impromptu interview in the Royal Box, with a crowd of 18,000 watching.
Sportsweek
Sportsweek is a topical sports show broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live. The show airs on Sunday mornings and is presented by Garry Richardson, who is also a presenter on the Today show on BBC Radio 4...
on 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...
and is also a sports presenter on the Today show 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...
.
Career
Garry Richardson began his broadcasting career with BBC Radio OxfordBBC Radio Oxford
BBC Radio Oxford is the BBC Local Radio station for the English county of Oxfordshire, broadcasting on 95.2 FM via the Oxford transmitter and online. The station broadcasts live from the BBC's Summertown studios in Oxford between 5am and 7pm each weekday, for over 13 hours on Saturdays & 19 hours...
. He had previously been a youth player at Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
and Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
football clubs but quickly realised that he was unlikely to become a professional footballer.
He gave his first sports report on national radio in 1981 as a 'cub' reporter, introduced by Todays co-presenter Brian Redhead
Brian Redhead
Brian Leonard Redhead was a British author, journalist and broadcaster. He was probably best known as a co-presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 which he worked on from 1975 until 1993, shortly before his death...
for the match between Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
and Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. Under the tutorship of Tony Adamson, Bryon Butler
Bryon Butler
Ewart Bryon Butler was an English writer and broadcaster, best known as the BBC's football correspondent from 1968 to 1991....
and the commentator Peter Jones, Richardson rose to become the regular sports reporter on the show, a role he has assumed for over 20 years.
Richardson also presents the Sunday morning sports programme Sportsweek
Sportsweek
Sportsweek is a topical sports show broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live. The show airs on Sunday mornings and is presented by Garry Richardson, who is also a presenter on the Today show on BBC Radio 4...
on 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...
. He is known for presenting the show with a slightly aggressive interview style, with the hope of gaining valuable information from his guests. He has stated that he believes in asking the same question three times if he has not received a response, a style also favoured by fellow journalists Jeremy Paxman
Jeremy Paxman
Jeremy Dickson Paxman is a British journalist, author and television presenter. He has worked for the BBC since 1977. He is noted for a forthright and abrasive interviewing style, particularly when interrogating politicians...
and John Humphrys
John Humphrys
Desmond John Humphrys , is a Welsh-born British author, journalist and presenter of radio and television, who has won many national broadcasting awards...
. The show won a Sony Gold Award in 2007 for Best Sports Programme. The show was nominated in the same category in the 2009 awards but lost out to 5 Live's coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
(Olympic Breakfast (gold) and Olympic Sportsworld (bronze)) and also The Football Forum (silver).
He began presenting a sports sketch and interview show, Look Away Now
Look Away Now
Look Away Now is a BBC Radio 4 sports-based comedy series presented by Garry Richardson . The programme takes the form of a sports news programme and mocks many aspects of such programmes. The cast also includes Laurence Howarth, Katherine Jakeways, Dave Lamb, Richie Webb and Mark Evans...
, for BBC Radio 4 in 2007.
Famous interviews
Richardson has interviewed a variety of personalities from the world of sport and politics. In 2002 he irritated tennis player Anna KournikovaAnna Kournikova
Anna Sergeyevna Kournikova is a Russian retired professional tennis player. Her beauty and celebrity status made her one of the best known tennis stars worldwide, despite the fact that she never won a WTA singles title. At the peak of her fame, fans looking for images of Kournikova made her name...
, who requested the interview be restarted when he cast aspersions on her ability to play at Wimbledon. He has also conducted interviews with former South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n president Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
and Hansie Cronje
Hansie Cronje
Wessel Johannes "Hansie" Cronje was a South African cricketer and captain of the South African national cricket team in the 1990s...
, the South African cricket captain.
During a rain delay at Wimbledon, Richardson got a note through to President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
and persuaded him to give an impromptu interview in the Royal Box, with a crowd of 18,000 watching.