John Inverdale
Encyclopedia
John Inverdale is an English
radio and television broadcaster who works for the BBC
, mainly covering sporting events.
dental surgeon, Captain
John Inverdale, who played rugby union
for Devonport Services
in Plymouth. Inverdale was educated at Clifton College
in Bristol
and at the University of Southampton
, where he obtained a history degree in 1979, also being the editor of the student newspaper Wessex News and captained the University tennis
team for two years.
qualification at University of Wales Institute
, Cardiff
, he began his career with two years at the Lincolnshire Echo
, and then joined BBC Radio Lincolnshire
in 1982.
's sports unit, then between 1990 & 1994 at Radio 5
, where he presented the flagship sports programme Sport On 5
. In 1994 he became one of the main regular presenters on the relaunched Radio Five Live. He presented the drivetime show John Inverdale Nationwide until 1997, for which he was named Sony Broadcaster of the Year
in 1997. At Five Live, he hosted the topical show, Any Sporting Questions, a variation on Radio 4
's Any Questions, and similarly toured the UK each week. In 2008 he broadcast live on Radio Five Live from the Olympic Games
in China. Along with Sir Steve Redgrave he also appeared at Shunyi Rowing Lake
for the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
Inverdale is a sports enthusiast and has headed Five Live's coverage of such events as Wimbledon, the Olympic Games
, the football
and rugby union World Cups, the Ryder Cup
, The Open Championship
, the London Marathon
as well as the Cheltenham Festival
. As Radio Five Live is the dominant sports radio station in the UK, this makes him probably the UK's most prominent radio sports broadcaster.
. He became the BBC's main Rugby Union anchor in the 2006 Six Nations Championship
s following the departure of Steve Rider
to ITV Sport
and is also the main presenter of Today at Wimbledon
, a highlights show of the day's tennis play at Wimbledon on BBC Two
. He has also fronted countless television shows such as the sports chat show On Side, Rugby Special
, the investigative sports series On The Line, Grandstand
, Sunday Grandstand and The World's Strongest Man. During his work on Grandstand
, he often presented Rugby League
which caused anxiety amongst fans because of his apparent dislike of the sport. This was most evident during a Radio Five Live programme in 2004, where he made inaccurate and damaging claims regarding a Super League
club. He was also the main frontman for the Sport Relief Mile, presenting the 2004 event where he conducted the first ever joint live interviews with Prince William and Prince Harry, on Grandstand
. In 2006, he presented the Sport Relief Mile show, live from the London's Embankment
on BBC
One.
, and more recently Chris Evans, on their BBC Radio 2
shows.
honorary degree from the University of Southampton in July 2001.
He was awarded an honorary fellowship to the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC) in November 2009.
, London
with his wife and two daughters. He has an interest in Esher RFC
. He made national news in 2005 when his face appeared on many newspapers showing the facial scars he received whilst playing rugby union. John is also a Lincoln City Football Club fan. He is also an avid birdwatcher.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
radio and television broadcaster who works for the 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...
, mainly covering sporting events.
Biography
Inverdale is the son of a Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
dental surgeon, Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
John Inverdale, who played rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
for Devonport Services
Devonport Services R.F.C.
Devonport Services Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union team based in Plymouth.The team, originally called United Services Devonport, was limited to military officers and its first recorded match was a 2-2 tie against Plymouth in 1904...
in Plymouth. Inverdale was educated at Clifton College
Clifton College
Clifton College is a co-educational independent school in Clifton, Bristol, England, founded in 1862. In its early years it was notable for emphasising science in the curriculum, and for being less concerned with social elitism, e.g. by admitting day-boys on equal terms and providing a dedicated...
in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
and at the University of Southampton
University of Southampton
The University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
, where he obtained a history degree in 1979, also being the editor of the student newspaper Wessex News and captained the University 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...
team for two years.
Career
After gaining a post-graduate journalismJournalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
qualification at University of Wales Institute
University of Wales Institute, Cardiff
Cardiff Metropolitan University is a university situated in Cardiff. It operates from three campuses: Llandaff on Western Avenue, Cyncoed, and Howard Gardens in the City Centre. The university serves over 12,000 students...
, 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...
, he began his career with two years at the Lincolnshire Echo
Lincolnshire Echo
The Lincolnshire Echo is a morning daily British regional newspaper for Lincolnshire, founded in 1894, which is published Monday to Saturday. It is owned by Northcliffe Newspapers. The main area for the paper's distribution is in or around Lincoln....
, and then joined BBC Radio Lincolnshire
BBC Radio Lincolnshire
BBC 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...
in 1982.
Radio
Inverdale began to work on the BBC's national radio stations in 1985, firstly on Radio 2BBC 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...
's sports unit, then between 1990 & 1994 at Radio 5
BBC Radio 5 (former)
BBC Radio 5 was a BBC radio network that carried sport, children's and educational programmes.It was transmitted via analogue radio on 693 and 909 kHz, and lasted for three years and eight months. The success of BBC Radio 4's coverage of the Gulf War, on a service known as Scud FM,...
, where he presented the flagship sports programme Sport On 5
5 Live Sport
5 Live Sport is the flagship sports programme on BBC Radio Five Live and part of the BBC Sport division. It broadcasts daily, 7pm - 10.30pm Monday - Thursday, 7pm -10pm Friday, 12noon - 6pm Weekends...
. In 1994 he became one of the main regular presenters on the relaunched Radio Five Live. He presented the drivetime show John Inverdale Nationwide until 1997, for which he was named Sony Broadcaster of the Year
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 1997. At Five Live, he hosted the topical show, Any Sporting Questions, a variation on 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...
's Any Questions, and similarly toured the UK each week. In 2008 he broadcast live on Radio Five Live from 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...
in China. Along with Sir Steve Redgrave he also appeared at Shunyi Rowing Lake
Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park
The Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park is the new, purpose-built venue for the rowing, canoeing and 10 km open-water swimming events in the 2008 Summer Olympics. It is located in Mapo Village in the Shunyi District in Beijing....
for 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...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
Inverdale is a sports enthusiast and has headed Five Live's coverage of such events as Wimbledon, 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...
, the football
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
and rugby union World Cups, the Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
, The Open Championship
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
, the London Marathon
London Marathon
The London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...
as well as the Cheltenham Festival
Cheltenham Festival
The Cheltenham Festival is one of the most prestigious meetings in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, and has race prize money second only to the Grand National...
. As Radio Five Live is the dominant sports radio station in the UK, this makes him probably the UK's most prominent radio sports broadcaster.
Television
Inverdale has also worked regularly for BBC TelevisionBBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
. He became the BBC's main Rugby Union anchor in the 2006 Six Nations Championship
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
s following the departure of Steve Rider
Steve Rider
Stephen Rider is an English sports presenter, and was the anchorman of ITV's football coverage, which included the Champions League, England Internationals, the FA Cup and the 2006 World Cup. He anchored ITV's Formula One coverage from 2006 to 2008, and football coverage from 2006 to April 2010...
to ITV Sport
ITV Sport
ITV Sport is a sport producer and brand name owned by ITV plc. It was formed from the amalgamation of Granada Sport, Carlton's sports department and ISN, the sports division of London News Network. The company produces Champions League and FA Cup Football, along with coverage of England's national...
and is also the main presenter of Today at Wimbledon
Today at Wimbledon
Today at Wimbledon is a BBC TV show, showing highlights and discussion from the day's play at the Wimbledon Championships during the tournament. The show, which is broadcast on BBC2 at 8 pm with a next day repeat at 10.30 am , is presented by John Inverdale, who is joined by a well-known...
, a highlights show of the day's tennis play at Wimbledon on 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...
. He has also fronted countless television shows such as the sports chat show On Side, Rugby Special
Rugby Special
Rugby Special was the main rugby union programme on the BBC in the UK. The show ran from 1966 and past presenters included David Vine, Keith Macklin, Cliff Morgan, Chris Rea, Nigel Starmer-Smith, Bill Beaumont and John Inverdale. The theme tune, "Holy Mackerel", was composed by The Shadows'...
, the investigative sports series On The Line, 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...
, Sunday Grandstand and The World's Strongest Man. During his work on 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...
, he often presented Rugby League
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
which caused anxiety amongst fans because of his apparent dislike of the sport. This was most evident during a Radio Five Live programme in 2004, where he made inaccurate and damaging claims regarding a Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
club. He was also the main frontman for the Sport Relief Mile, presenting the 2004 event where he conducted the first ever joint live interviews with Prince William and Prince Harry, on 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...
. In 2006, he presented the Sport Relief Mile show, live from the London's Embankment
Thames Embankment
The Thames Embankment is a major feat of 19th century civil engineering designed to reclaim marshy land next to the River Thames in central London. It consists of the Victoria and Chelsea Embankment....
on 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...
One.
Radio 2
He has also stood in for Johnnie WalkerJohnnie Walker (DJ)
Johnnie Walker MBE is a popular British veteran radio disc jockey and broadcaster....
, and more recently Chris Evans, on their 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...
shows.
Awards
He received a Doctor of LettersDoctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters is a university academic degree, often a higher doctorate which is frequently awarded as an honorary degree in recognition of outstanding scholarship or other merits.-Commonwealth:...
honorary degree from the University of Southampton in July 2001.
He was awarded an honorary fellowship to the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC) in November 2009.
Personal life
Inverdale now lives in Kingston upon ThamesKingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with his wife and two daughters. He has an interest in Esher RFC
Esher RFC
Esher Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Surrey, England. Esher RFC are currently playing in the second division of the English league system, The Championship. The club was formed in 1923 when four rugby enthusiasts agreed to start a club....
. He made national news in 2005 when his face appeared on many newspapers showing the facial scars he received whilst playing rugby union. John is also a Lincoln City Football Club fan. He is also an avid birdwatcher.