John Humphrys
Encyclopedia
Desmond John Humphrys is a Welsh-born British author, journalist
and presenter
of radio
and television
, who has won many national broadcasting awards. From 1981 to 1987 he was the main presenter for the Nine O'Clock News, the flagship BBC news
television programme, and since 1987 he has been a presenter on the award-winning BBC Radio 4
programme, Today
. He is also currently the host of the popular BBC Two
television quiz show Mastermind
.
Humphrys has a reputation of being a tenacious and forthright interviewer; occasionally politicians have been very critical of his style after being subjected to a tough interview on live radio.
, a poor working class district of central Cardiff
, son of Winifred Mary (Matthews), a hairdresser, and Edward George Humphrys, a self employed French polish
er. He was one of five children. His parents encouraged him to do his homework and he passed the eleven plus exam. He became a pupil at Cardiff High School
(then a grammar school), but he did not fit in to the middle class environment there. He was an average pupil and left school at the age of 15 years to become a teenage reporter on the Penarth Times. He later joined the Western Mail.
, a commercial television
channel based in Wales. He joined the BBC in 1966 as the district reporter for Liverpool and the Northwest, where he reported the dock strikes of that time, sometimes for the national news. He then worked as a foreign correspondent initially having to go abroad and leave his family for six to nine month periods, at a time when his children were still young and growing up. Later he took his family with him to the United States and South Africa where he was sent to start news bureaux. He reported the resignation of Richard Nixon
in 1974 on television by satellite from the United States, the execution of Gary Gilmore
in 1977, and later, when based in South Africa, he covered the transformation of Rhodesia
into Zimbabwe
.
Humphrys became disillusioned with living in hotels and life on-the-road as a foreign correspondent, and so he returned to London in 1980 to take up the post of BBC Diplomatic Correspondent. In 1981 he became the main presenter of the BBC's flagship Nine O'Clock News. This appointment marked a change in the BBC's approach to news broadcasting. With the appointment of Humphrys and John Simpson, the presenters of the news became part of the process of preparing the broadcast, rather than just reading a prepared script as with previous presenters. The work involved going to many meetings, working late and reading from an autocue, so in 1986 he immediately accepted a job on Today when he was unexpectedly offered it at one day at about midnight by telephone. The job had become available because John Timpson
was going to retire at the end of 1986. He started presenting Today in January 1987 joining Brian Redhead
. He still made occasional appearances fronting BBC TV news bulletins in the 1990s. During the 1991 Gulf War he was a volunteer presenter on the BBC Radio 4 News FM service. From 1993 he presented the weekly On The Record
political TV show until its demise in 2002.
He made the headlines on 28 August 2004 for giving the yearly MacTaggart lecture
in which he made scathing criticism of the 'dumbing down
' of British television. He criticised reality shows such as Big Brother
, as well as the increasing violence in British soap opera
s. He made these criticisms after five years of being without a television set, and in the context of re-acquainting himself with the medium after the prolonged gap. Ironically, Humphrys is also the presenter of the revived version of Mastermind
, which has also been accused of 'dumbing down'. After his criticism of reality television, Humphrys appeared the following year in Art School, a show which followed a celebrity reality format.
Humphrys attracted further controversy in September 2005 when he allegedly branded all politicians as liars and made comments about Tony Blair
, Gordon Brown
, and John Prescott
in an after-dinner speech which was subsequently leaked to The Times
by Tim Allan
, a former aide to the Prime Minister. On 6 September 2005, Humphrys was censured by the Corporation for his use of "inappropriate and misguided" language.
Humphrys has also presented Panorama
. He has won many industry awards, including being named Journalist of the Year in February 2000 at an awards ceremony organised by The House Magazine
and Channel 4
; the Gold Sony Radio Award
in 2003; and a silver platter for Crystal Clear Broadcasting from the Plain English Campaign
.
John Humphrys has written several books, including Lost for Words, in which he criticizes what he sees as the widespread misuse of the English language
, plus 'Devil's Advocate', 'Beyond Words', 'The Great Food Gamble' and 'In God We Doubt: Confessions Of A Failed Atheist'.
Humphrys is a columnist for the Daily Mail.
Humphrys is an agnostic, but has a curiosity to test his agnosticism and challenge established religions to see if they can restore his childhood belief in God
. In 2006, he presented a BBC Radio 4
programme, titled "Humphrys in Search of God" where he spoke to leading British authorities on Christianity
, Judaism
and Islam
to try and restore his faith.
Despite his reputation, Humphrys is prepared to send himself up: for example, when he appeared on the light entertainment programme Top Gear
driving a Peel P50
around BBC White City
.
On 12 November 2009 he became the only person to replace David Dimbleby
as the host of Question Time
when Dimbleby was recovering from a minor farming injury.
On 3 January 2011 Humphrys announced that he had extended his contract to present the Today programme, but in doing so had agreed to a pay cut.
Cabinet Minister, Jonathan Aitken
, accused him of "poisoning the well of democratic debate", although Aitken was not supported by his fellow Cabinet Ministers
, Kenneth Clarke
and Douglas Hurd
when they were interviewed by Humphrys on the Today programme, on the following Monday.
Humphrys has been criticised for receiving shares in the poll organisation YouGov
for which he wrote a column. Humphrys denied that there was a conflict of interest between his role as newscaster and that of shareholder of a company, the reports of which are often cited in the news on the BBC.
On 9 May 2008 Humphrys interviewed Richard Dawkins
regarding a recent speech by Cormac Murphy O'Connor. Dawkins alleged that Humphrys had a "double standard" of not requiring evidence of a clergyman, despite his reputation for demanding evidence of politicians. Dawkins asked Humphrys to explain why. Humphrys, arguing that the difference was that such evidence cannot be asked
of a man of faith
, felt that the interview was being made "about him" by Dawkins's question.
, South Wales; Humphrys described her last days in a hospice in his book Devil's Advocate. Christopher is now a professional cellist
.
On 2 June 2000, when he was 56 years old, Humphrys and his second wife, Valerie Sanderson
, had a son, Owen James. Sanderson was a newsreader with Spotlight
then BBC News 24
and is now a radio producer. Humphrys had a reverse vasectomy
. He referred to these facts on 31 October 2006 on BBC Radio 4
in the programme Humphrys in Search of God. He is now in a relationship with the Observer journalist Catherine Bennett
.
In 2005 he founded the Kitchen Table Charities Trust, a charity that funds projects to help some of the poorest people on the planet.
Humphrys was a guest on the BBC Radio 4
show Desert Island Discs
on 6 January 2008. His favourite record of the eight he selected for the show was Elgar’s Cello Concerto; he chose the biggest poetry anthology possible as his book and a cello
as a luxury on the desert island.
Humphrys' brother, Bob Humphrys
, was a sports television presenter on BBC Wales Today
. He died of lung cancer in Cardiff on 19 August 2008, aged 56.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and presenter
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
of radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, who has won many national broadcasting awards. From 1981 to 1987 he was the main presenter for the Nine O'Clock News, the flagship BBC news
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
television programme, and since 1987 he has been a presenter on the award-winning 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...
programme, Today
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...
. He is also currently the host of the popular BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
television quiz show Mastermind
Mastermind (TV series)
Mastermind is a British quiz show, well known for its challenging questions, intimidating setting and air of seriousness.Devised by Bill Wright, the basic format of Mastermind has never changed — four and in later contests five contestants face two rounds, one on a specialised subject of the...
.
Humphrys has a reputation of being a tenacious and forthright interviewer; occasionally politicians have been very critical of his style after being subjected to a tough interview on live radio.
Early life
Humphrys was born in SplottSplott
Splott is a district in the south of the city of Cardiff, capital of Wales, just east of the city centre. It was built up in the late 19th century on the land of two farms of the same name: Upper Splott and Lower Splott Farms. Splott is characterised by its once vast steelworks and rows of tightly...
, a poor working class district of central Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, son of Winifred Mary (Matthews), a hairdresser, and Edward George Humphrys, a self employed French polish
French polish
French polishing is a wood finishing technique that results in a very high gloss surface, with a deep colour and chatoyancy. French polishing consists of applying many thin coats of shellac dissolved in alcohol using a rubbing pad lubricated with oil...
er. He was one of five children. His parents encouraged him to do his homework and he passed the eleven plus exam. He became a pupil at Cardiff High School
Cardiff High School
Cardiff High School is a comprehensive school in the Cyncoed area of Cardiff, Wales. Cardiff High School is two miles from the city centre, serving a neighbourhood of privately-owned houses. According to the 2007 ESTYN Report, "Cardiff High School is a very good school with many outstanding...
(then a grammar school), but he did not fit in to the middle class environment there. He was an average pupil and left school at the age of 15 years to become a teenage reporter on the Penarth Times. He later joined the Western Mail.
Career
Humphrys joined TWWTelevision Wales and the West
Television Wales and the WestTelevision Wales and the WestTelevision Wales and the West , accessed 19 August 2006, accessed 19 August 2006 was the British "Independent Television" contractor for the franchise area serving 'South Wales and West of England' 1956–68 Television Wales and the...
, a commercial television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
channel based in Wales. He joined the BBC in 1966 as the district reporter for Liverpool and the Northwest, where he reported the dock strikes of that time, sometimes for the national news. He then worked as a foreign correspondent initially having to go abroad and leave his family for six to nine month periods, at a time when his children were still young and growing up. Later he took his family with him to the United States and South Africa where he was sent to start news bureaux. He reported the resignation of Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
in 1974 on television by satellite from the United States, the execution of Gary Gilmore
Gary Gilmore
Gary Mark Gilmore was an American criminal, and murderer, who gained international notoriety for demanding that his own death sentence be fulfilled following two murders he committed in Utah. He became the first person executed in the United States after the U.S...
in 1977, and later, when based in South Africa, he covered the transformation of Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
into Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
.
Humphrys became disillusioned with living in hotels and life on-the-road as a foreign correspondent, and so he returned to London in 1980 to take up the post of BBC Diplomatic Correspondent. In 1981 he became the main presenter of the BBC's flagship Nine O'Clock News. This appointment marked a change in the BBC's approach to news broadcasting. With the appointment of Humphrys and John Simpson, the presenters of the news became part of the process of preparing the broadcast, rather than just reading a prepared script as with previous presenters. The work involved going to many meetings, working late and reading from an autocue, so in 1986 he immediately accepted a job on Today when he was unexpectedly offered it at one day at about midnight by telephone. The job had become available because John Timpson
John Timpson
John Harry Robert Timpson OBE, , born in Kenton, Harrow, Middlesex, was a British journalist, best known as a radio presenter. He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School, a boys' independent school in Northwood, London....
was going to retire at the end of 1986. He started presenting Today in January 1987 joining 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...
. He still made occasional appearances fronting BBC TV news bulletins in the 1990s. During the 1991 Gulf War he was a volunteer presenter on the BBC Radio 4 News FM service. From 1993 he presented the weekly On The Record
On The Record (BBC television programme)
On the Record was a weekly political television show aired by the BBC in the United Kingdom between 1988 and 2002. The programme was usually shown on a Sunday lunchtime on BBC One, as a replacement for the 1980s political series This Week, Next Week, which was presented by David Dimbleby.The...
political TV show until its demise in 2002.
He made the headlines on 28 August 2004 for giving the yearly MacTaggart lecture
Edinburgh International Television Festival
The Edinburgh International Television Festival, founded in 1976, is held annually over the British August bank holiday weekend at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre....
in which he made scathing criticism of the 'dumbing down
Dumbing down
Dumbing down is a pejorative term for a perceived trend to lower the intellectual content of literature, education, news, and other aspects of culture...
' of British television. He criticised reality shows such as Big Brother
Big Brother (UK)
Big Brother UK is the British version of the Dutch Big Brother television format, which takes its name from the character in George Orwell's 1948 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four...
, as well as the increasing violence in British soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
s. He made these criticisms after five years of being without a television set, and in the context of re-acquainting himself with the medium after the prolonged gap. Ironically, Humphrys is also the presenter of the revived version of Mastermind
Mastermind (TV series)
Mastermind is a British quiz show, well known for its challenging questions, intimidating setting and air of seriousness.Devised by Bill Wright, the basic format of Mastermind has never changed — four and in later contests five contestants face two rounds, one on a specialised subject of the...
, which has also been accused of 'dumbing down'. After his criticism of reality television, Humphrys appeared the following year in Art School, a show which followed a celebrity reality format.
Humphrys attracted further controversy in September 2005 when he allegedly branded all politicians as liars and made comments about Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
, Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
, and John Prescott
John Prescott
John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott is a British politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he represented Hull East as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1970 to 2010...
in an after-dinner speech which was subsequently leaked to The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
by Tim Allan
Tim Allan
Tim Allan is a public relations consultant and was an advisor to Tony Blair from 1992 to 1998. He is the founder and managing director of Portland Communications in London, England...
, a former aide to the Prime Minister. On 6 September 2005, Humphrys was censured by the Corporation for his use of "inappropriate and misguided" language.
Humphrys has also presented Panorama
Panorama (TV series)
Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby...
. He has won many industry awards, including being named Journalist of the Year in February 2000 at an awards ceremony organised by The House Magazine
The House Magazine
The House Magazine is a weekly British political magazine relating to the British House of Commons. It is managed by a cross-party editorial team of MPs and overseen by a panel of senior parliamentarians....
and 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...
; the Gold Sony Radio Award
Sony Radio Academy Awards
The Sony Radio Academy Awards , started in 1983, are some of the most prestigious awards in the British radio industry. They are run by ZAFER Associates in association with the Radio Academy...
in 2003; and a silver platter for Crystal Clear Broadcasting from the Plain English Campaign
Plain English Campaign
The Plain English Campaign is a commercial editing and training firm based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1979 by Chrissie Maher, the company positions itself as a leader in plain-language advocacy, working to persuade organisations in the UK and abroad to communicate with the public in plain...
.
John Humphrys has written several books, including Lost for Words, in which he criticizes what he sees as the widespread misuse of the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, plus 'Devil's Advocate', 'Beyond Words', 'The Great Food Gamble' and 'In God We Doubt: Confessions Of A Failed Atheist'.
Humphrys is a columnist for the Daily Mail.
Humphrys is an agnostic, but has a curiosity to test his agnosticism and challenge established religions to see if they can restore his childhood belief in God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. In 2006, he presented a 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...
programme, titled "Humphrys in Search of God" where he spoke to leading British authorities on Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
and Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
to try and restore his faith.
Despite his reputation, Humphrys is prepared to send himself up: for example, when he appeared on the light entertainment programme Top Gear
Top Gear (current format)
Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...
driving a Peel P50
Peel P50
The Peel P50 is a three-wheeled microcar originally manufactured in 1962 and 1965) by the Peel Engineering Company on the Isle of Man. It retailed for £199 when new , and currently holds the record for the smallest automobile to go into production...
around BBC White City
BBC White City
BBC White City refers both to a collection of BBC buildings at Wood Lane, White City in west London, and an office building opened in 1990 within that collection of buildings...
.
On 12 November 2009 he became the only person to replace David Dimbleby
David Dimbleby
David Dimbleby is a British BBC TV commentator and a presenter of current affairs and political programmes, most notably the BBC's flagship political show Question Time, and more recently, art, architectural history and history series...
as the host of Question Time
Question Time (TV series)
Question Time is a topical debate BBC television programme in the United Kingdom, based on Any Questions?. The show typically features politicians from at least the three major political parties as well as other public figures who answer questions put to them by the audience...
when Dimbleby was recovering from a minor farming injury.
On 3 January 2011 Humphrys announced that he had extended his contract to present the Today programme, but in doing so had agreed to a pay cut.
Criticism
Humphrys has occasionally been criticised for his forthright interviewing style: for example, in March 1995 after being interviewed on Today the former ConservativeConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Cabinet Minister, Jonathan Aitken
Jonathan Aitken
Jonathan William Patrick Aitken is a former Conservative Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom, and British government minister. He was convicted of perjury in 1999 and received an 18-month prison sentence, of which he served seven months...
, accused him of "poisoning the well of democratic debate", although Aitken was not supported by his fellow Cabinet Ministers
Cabinet of the United Kingdom
The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the collective decision-making body of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, composed of the Prime Minister and some 22 Cabinet Ministers, the most senior of the government ministers....
, Kenneth Clarke
Kenneth Clarke
Kenneth Harry "Ken" Clarke, QC, MP is a British Conservative politician, currently Member of Parliament for Rushcliffe, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice. He was first elected to Parliament in 1970; and appointed a minister in Edward Heath's government, in 1972, and is one of...
and Douglas Hurd
Douglas Hurd
Douglas Richard Hurd, Baron Hurd of Westwell, CH, CBE, PC , is a British Conservative politician and novelist, who served in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major between 1979 and his retirement in 1995....
when they were interviewed by Humphrys on the Today programme, on the following Monday.
Humphrys has been criticised for receiving shares in the poll organisation YouGov
YouGov
YouGov, formerly known as PollingPoint in the United States, is an international internet-based market research firm launched in the UK in May 2000 by Stephan Shakespeare, now Chief Executive Officer, and Nadhim Zahawi...
for which he wrote a column. Humphrys denied that there was a conflict of interest between his role as newscaster and that of shareholder of a company, the reports of which are often cited in the news on the BBC.
On 9 May 2008 Humphrys interviewed Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins
Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL , known as Richard Dawkins, is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author...
regarding a recent speech by Cormac Murphy O'Connor. Dawkins alleged that Humphrys had a "double standard" of not requiring evidence of a clergyman, despite his reputation for demanding evidence of politicians. Dawkins asked Humphrys to explain why. Humphrys, arguing that the difference was that such evidence cannot be asked
Fideism
Fideism is an epistemological theory which maintains that faith is independent of reason, or that reason and faith are hostile to each other and faith is superior at arriving at particular truths...
of a man of faith
Faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
, felt that the interview was being made "about him" by Dawkins's question.
Personal life
Humphrys married Edna Wilding (August 1942 - September 1997) in 1964 and they soon had two children, a son and daughter, Christopher and Catherine. This marriage broke down in the late 1980s. Wilding died of cancer in GlamorganGlamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
, South Wales; Humphrys described her last days in a hospice in his book Devil's Advocate. Christopher is now a professional cellist
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
.
On 2 June 2000, when he was 56 years old, Humphrys and his second wife, Valerie Sanderson
Valerie Sanderson
Valerie Sanderson was one of the original presenters on BBC News 24 when it launched in 1997.-Early life:She studied at St Andrews University, then did a postgraduate degree at the Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.-BBC:...
, had a son, Owen James. Sanderson was a newsreader with Spotlight
Spotlight (BBC South West News)
Spotlight is the BBC's regional news programme for the southwest of England, covering Cornwall, Devon, West Dorset, and Somerset. There is also a special version of the programme for viewers in the Channel Islands. The main version of the programme broadcasts between 18:30 and 18:58 on weekdays,...
then BBC News 24
BBC News 24
BBC News is the BBC's 24-hour rolling news television network in the United Kingdom. The channel launched as BBC News 24 on 9 November 1997 at 17:30 as part of the BBC's foray into digital domestic television channels, becoming the first competitor to Sky News, which had been running since 1989...
and is now a radio producer. Humphrys had a reverse vasectomy
Vasovasostomy
Vasovasostomy is a surgery by which vasectomies are partially reversed. Another surgery for vasectomy reversal is vasoepididymostomy.-Limitations:...
. He referred to these facts on 31 October 2006 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...
in the programme Humphrys in Search of God. He is now in a relationship with the Observer journalist Catherine Bennett
Catherine Bennett (journalist)
Catherine Dorothea Bennett is a British journalist, educated at Hertford College, Oxford.Bennett began her career in journalism at Honey magazine. Subsequently she worked at the Sunday Telegraph, Mail on Sunday, The Sunday Times, The Times and the short-lived Sunday Correspondent newspaper before...
.
In 2005 he founded the Kitchen Table Charities Trust, a charity that funds projects to help some of the poorest people on the planet.
Humphrys was a guest on the 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...
show Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs is a BBC Radio 4 programme first broadcast on 29 January 1942. It is the second longest-running radio programme , and is the longest-running factual programme in the history of radio...
on 6 January 2008. His favourite record of the eight he selected for the show was Elgar’s Cello Concerto; he chose the biggest poetry anthology possible as his book and a cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
as a luxury on the desert island.
Humphrys' brother, Bob Humphrys
Bob Humphrys
George Robert Humphrys was a Welsh broadcaster, chiefly known as a sports presenter on BBC Wales.-Biography:...
, was a sports television presenter on BBC Wales Today
BBC Wales Today
Wales Today is the BBC's national news programme for Wales, broadcast on BBC One Wales from the headquarters of BBC Wales in Llandaff, Cardiff....
. He died of lung cancer in Cardiff on 19 August 2008, aged 56.
Publications
- Devil's Advocate. London: Arrow Books Ltd. (2000). ISBN 0-09-927965-7
- The Great Food Gamble. London: Coronet Books. (2002). ISBN 0-340-77046-5
- Lost For Words: The Mangling and Manipulating of the English Language. London: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd. (2004). ISBN 0-340-83658-X.
- Beyond Words: How Language Reveals the Way We Live Now. London: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd. (2006). ISBN 0-340-92375-X.
- In God We Doubt: Confessions of a Failed Atheist. London: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd. (2007). ISBN 0-340-95126-5.
- "Blue Skies & Black Olives" London; Hodder & Stoughton Ltd (2009). ISBN 978-0-340-97882-5