Nick Ferrari
Encyclopedia
Nick Ferrari is a radio presenter who currently hosts the weekday breakfast show from 0700-1000 UTC (and BST in summer) on the London
-based talk and phone-in radio station
LBC 97.3
. He also has a regular column in the Sunday Express and is a regular guest on The Alan Titchmarsh Show
on ITV1
. He used to present the discussion programme Forum on Press TV
, a news channel run by the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He quit his show on the station on 30 June 2009 in protest at the Islamic Republic of Iran regime crushing dissent after the Iranian presidential election held on 12 June 2009. He has two sons and lives in Blackheath, London
.
an independent school for boys in Mottingham
in south-east London.
in 1981 and has had many other posts in journalism: ShowBiz Reporter at The Sun
and Editor of the paper's "Bizarre" gossip page, Features Editor of the News of the World's
Sunday Magazine and Assistant Editor of The Daily Mirror
. A friend of former Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie
, Ferrari joined him at L!VE TV
where he devised such programmes as Topless Darts, the News Bunny and the weather presented by a dwarf on a trampoline.
In 1989, Ferrari was instrumental in setting up the Sky News
channel, as the second person to be hired by Rupert Murdoch
. Initially he was editor and then he was promoted to Vice President of News and Programming, of Fox TV
in New York
. Amongst the people that he has interviewed are Harrison Ford
, Elton John
, David Bowie
and Arthur Scargill
, and after interviewing Roger Moore
on the set of a James Bond
movie for The Sun, appeared as an extra, a man standing next to a swimming pool, in Octopussy.
as well as the Arqiva Presenter of the Year award. Chrysalis management showed their gratitude by flying him by private jet to Germany to see the 2006 World Cup final. Ferrari frequently asks first-time callers which station they previously listened to, rejoicing when they have deserted BBC Radio 4
, BBC London 94.9
or rival station Capital FM.
, Ken Livingstone
, the Mayor wrote to the Managing Director of LBC 97.3
asking what measures had been implemented to ensure the situation would not arise again. Following this, Livingstone appeared regularly on Ferrari's programme to answer questions from listeners.
on ITV
and previously Channel 4
's Richard & Judy
and guested on breakfast television magazine GMTV
. In early 2003, following his appointment as editor of the proposed local newspaper the London Evening Mail, he made a series of appearances on local evening news programmes London Tonight
and BBC London News
. However, in November of that year Ferrari was offered the breakfast show on LBC 97.3
(effective January 2004) and subsequently stepped down as the newspaper's editor. As a result, the attention awarded him by London regional programmes declined and he now makes far fewer appearances on those shows.
Throughout 2004-2005 Ferrari developed his own one-man stage show consisting largely of anecdotes about his family and the various jobs he's held over the years, jokes, audience interaction and the occasional guest appearance, including Carol Thatcher
(a regular on his show). The show played at various theatres across the capital and as far out as Radlett
, and came to a close on 16 December 2005 at the Fairfield Halls
, Croydon
. He has vowed not to repeat it, however he is now launching a new series of theatre appearances to promote his book The World According to Nick Ferrari. On 10 March 2006 he appeared on ITN's 'The Pulse', which lets the viewing public discuss a topic of the day; on this day it was silly laws.
In 2006, Ferrari also made an appearance on the BBC
/HBO comedy show 'Extras
' in the show's second series. Nick played the part of himself as a phone-in radio presenter set in LBC 97.3
Studios.
From February 2008, Ferrari became a regular guest on a new ITV
political show called "London Talking" starring Konnie Huq
and featuring Vanessa Feltz
. On 29 June 2008, Ferrari covered the Salute to Israel march and rally in London
's Trafalgar Square
, which celebrated the 60th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel
, attended by over 40,000 people. On 19 November 2009 he appeared as a panelist on the BBC's Question Time
in Leicester
. On 10 March 2011, he appeared again on Question Time, this time in Edinburgh
. He has appeared as a commentator on BBC One
's Politics Show.
leader David Cameron
that, if he joined the Conservative Party and put himself forward, Ferrari could win the ballot to be the party's candidate for Mayor of London
. Ferrari indicated, however, that he would not stand, as he "did not want to leave the listeners" and joked that he "couldn't take the pay cut". Later, he began to see merit in the idea and discussed what policies he might introduce should he become Mayor: amongst these were re-introducing the Routemaster
buses (with various modifications so that they would conform to disability and environmental laws) and scrapping the Mercedes-Benz "Bendy Buses" and, more controversially, putting a large levy on trainers in the run-up to the 2012 Olympic Games and doubling income tax on Human Rights lawyers. Ferrari later indicated that he would not stand as the Conservative candidate, a role that was taken by Boris Johnson
.
Ferrari does not recycle because the number of recycle bins mean "you've lost your front garden", he said on BBC's The Daily Politics
.
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...
-based talk and phone-in radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
LBC 97.3
LBC 97.3
LBC 97.3 is a London-based talk and phone-in radio station. It is one half of the latest incarnation of LBC, the news and speech service which was Britain's first commercial radio station when it went on air in October 1973...
. He also has a regular column in the Sunday Express and is a regular guest on The Alan Titchmarsh Show
The Alan Titchmarsh Show
The Alan Titchmarsh Show is a British daytime TV chat show broadcast between 3 and 4pm weekdays on the ITV Network.-Format:The programme made its debut on ITV in 2007. It focused on the theme of "The Best of British" focusing on food, entertainment and celebrities in a mid-afternoon slot...
on ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
. He used to present the discussion programme Forum on Press TV
Press TV
Press TV is a 24-hour English language global news network owned by the Iranian government. Its headquarters are located in Tehran, Iran, with bureaux in Beirut , Damascus , London , Seoul and Washington DC ....
, a news channel run by the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He quit his show on the station on 30 June 2009 in protest at the Islamic Republic of Iran regime crushing dissent after the Iranian presidential election held on 12 June 2009. He has two sons and lives in Blackheath, London
Blackheath, London
Blackheath is a district of South London, England. It is named from the large open public grassland which separates it from Greenwich to the north and Lewisham to the west...
.
Education
Ferrari was educated at Eltham CollegeEltham College
This article is about the school in London, England. For the school in Research, Australia see Eltham College of Education.Eltham College is an independent school situated in Mottingham in south-east London...
an independent school for boys in Mottingham
Mottingham
Mottingham is a district of south London, England; located at the convergence of the London Borough of Bromley, the London Borough of Lewisham and the London Borough of Greenwich...
in south-east London.
Early career
Ferrari's father ran a news agency, Ferrari Press Agency, and Ferrari was keen to make a name for himself in the same industry. Ferrari was a news reporter on the Sunday MirrorSunday Mirror
The Sunday Mirror is the Sunday sister paper of the Daily Mirror. It began life in 1915 as the Sunday Pictorial and was renamed the Sunday Mirror in 1963. Trinity Mirror also owns The People...
in 1981 and has had many other posts in journalism: ShowBiz Reporter at The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
and Editor of the paper's "Bizarre" gossip page, Features Editor of the News of the World's
News of the World
The News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations...
Sunday Magazine and Assistant Editor of The Daily Mirror
The Daily Mirror
The Daily Mirror is a British national daily tabloid newspaper which was founded in 1903. Twice in its history, from 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was changed to read simply The Mirror, which is how the paper is often referred to in popular parlance. It had an...
. A friend of former Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie
Kelvin MacKenzie
Kelvin Calder MacKenzie is an English media executive and former newspaper editor. He is best known for being editor of The Sun newspaper between 1981 and 1994, an era in which the paper was established as Britain's best selling newspaper.- Biography :MacKenzie was educated at Alleyn's School...
, Ferrari joined him at L!VE TV
L!VE TV
L!VE TV was a British television station that was operated by MGN on cable television from 15 August 1995 - 31 October 1999. It was later revived for Sky Digital from 2003...
where he devised such programmes as Topless Darts, the News Bunny and the weather presented by a dwarf on a trampoline.
In 1989, Ferrari was instrumental in setting up the Sky News
Sky News
Sky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
channel, as the second person to be hired by Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
. Initially he was editor and then he was promoted to Vice President of News and Programming, of Fox TV
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Amongst the people that he has interviewed are Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford is an American film actor and producer. He is famous for his performances as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the title character of the Indiana Jones film series. Ford is also known for his roles as Rick Deckard in Blade Runner, John Book in Witness and Jack Ryan in...
, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
and Arthur Scargill
Arthur Scargill
Arthur Scargill is a British politician who was President of the National Union of Mineworkers from 1982 to 2002, leading the union through the 1984–85 miners' strike, a key event in British labour and political history...
, and after interviewing Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
on the set of a James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
movie for The Sun, appeared as an extra, a man standing next to a swimming pool, in Octopussy.
Radio career
Ferrari's programme takes the format of a news and political debate and discussion show with presenter introducing topics and then discussing them with both members of the public and experts, through text messaging, email and phone, with the last of the three being the main mode of contact. The programme mixes both light entertainment stories and the more serious topics in the news, his jovial act affords the show a wide listener base, and recently the Sony Radio Breakfast Show of the Year award24th Sony Radio Academy Awards
The 24th Sony Radio Academy Awards were held on 8 May 2006 at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane in London.There were 29 categories of award and two special awards.-Programme awards and winners:...
as well as the Arqiva Presenter of the Year award. Chrysalis management showed their gratitude by flying him by private jet to Germany to see the 2006 World Cup final. Ferrari frequently asks first-time callers which station they previously listened to, rejoicing when they have deserted 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...
, BBC London 94.9
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...
or rival station Capital FM.
Broadcasting Standards Commission complaint
In 2003, the Broadcasting Standards Commission upheld a complaint against Ferrari, finding that his programme's "active reinforcement of prejudiced views about asylum seekers had exceeded acceptable boundaries for transmission". Following this, and at a time of frosty relations between Nick Ferrari and the former Mayor of LondonMayor of London
The Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
, 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...
, the Mayor wrote to the Managing Director of LBC 97.3
LBC 97.3
LBC 97.3 is a London-based talk and phone-in radio station. It is one half of the latest incarnation of LBC, the news and speech service which was Britain's first commercial radio station when it went on air in October 1973...
asking what measures had been implemented to ensure the situation would not arise again. Following this, Livingstone appeared regularly on Ferrari's programme to answer questions from listeners.
TV and other appearances
Aside from radio, Ferrari regularly appears as a commentator on The Alan Titchmarsh ShowThe Alan Titchmarsh Show
The Alan Titchmarsh Show is a British daytime TV chat show broadcast between 3 and 4pm weekdays on the ITV Network.-Format:The programme made its debut on ITV in 2007. It focused on the theme of "The Best of British" focusing on food, entertainment and celebrities in a mid-afternoon slot...
on 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...
and previously 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...
's Richard & Judy
Richard & Judy
Richard & Judy was a British magazine/chat show which was presented by married couple Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan. It originally aired on Channel 4 from 2001 to 2008 but later moved to digital channel Watch in October 2008. It featured the world's most famous stars, along with their Book Club...
and guested on breakfast television magazine GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
. In early 2003, following his appointment as editor of the proposed local newspaper the London Evening Mail, he made a series of appearances on local evening news programmes London Tonight
London Tonight
London Tonight is a regional news programme broadcast on ITV London . Produced by ITN, the programme is broadcast at 6pm every weeknight, also including local sports news and local features of interest.Like all regional news programmes on ITV in England and Wales and Channel Television, it uses...
and BBC London News
BBC London News
For other uses of the BBC London brand, see BBC London .BBC London News is the BBC's regional television news programme for the English region encompassing London and surrounding suburbs...
. However, in November of that year Ferrari was offered the breakfast show on LBC 97.3
LBC 97.3
LBC 97.3 is a London-based talk and phone-in radio station. It is one half of the latest incarnation of LBC, the news and speech service which was Britain's first commercial radio station when it went on air in October 1973...
(effective January 2004) and subsequently stepped down as the newspaper's editor. As a result, the attention awarded him by London regional programmes declined and he now makes far fewer appearances on those shows.
Throughout 2004-2005 Ferrari developed his own one-man stage show consisting largely of anecdotes about his family and the various jobs he's held over the years, jokes, audience interaction and the occasional guest appearance, including Carol Thatcher
Carol Thatcher
Carol Thatcher is a British journalist, author and media personality. She is the daughter of Margaret Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, a former British Prime Minister, and Sir Denis Thatcher, Bt....
(a regular on his show). The show played at various theatres across the capital and as far out as Radlett
Radlett
Radlett is a small town in the county of Hertfordshire between St Albans and Borehamwood on Watling Street with a population of approximately 8,000. It is located in the council district of Hertsmere and is covered by two wards, Aldenham East and Aldenham West...
, and came to a close on 16 December 2005 at the Fairfield Halls
Fairfield Halls
Fairfield Hall is an arts centre in Croydon, London, England and opened in 1962. It contains a concert hall, the Ashcroft Theatre , the Arnhem Gallery civic hall and an art gallery....
, Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
. He has vowed not to repeat it, however he is now launching a new series of theatre appearances to promote his book The World According to Nick Ferrari. On 10 March 2006 he appeared on ITN's 'The Pulse', which lets the viewing public discuss a topic of the day; on this day it was silly laws.
In 2006, Ferrari also made an appearance on 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...
/HBO comedy show 'Extras
Extras (TV series)
Extras is a British sitcom about extras working on TV and film sets and in theatre. The series was co-produced by the BBC and HBO, and is created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, both of whom also star in it...
' in the show's second series. Nick played the part of himself as a phone-in radio presenter set in LBC 97.3
LBC 97.3
LBC 97.3 is a London-based talk and phone-in radio station. It is one half of the latest incarnation of LBC, the news and speech service which was Britain's first commercial radio station when it went on air in October 1973...
Studios.
From February 2008, Ferrari became a regular guest on a new 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...
political show called "London Talking" starring Konnie Huq
Konnie Huq
Kanak Asha "Konnie" Huq is a British television presenter, who is best known for being the longest-serving female presenter of Blue Peter, having presented it from 1 December 1997 until 23 January 2008...
and featuring 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...
. On 29 June 2008, Ferrari covered the Salute to Israel march and rally in 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...
's Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of...
, which celebrated the 60th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, attended by over 40,000 people. On 19 November 2009 he appeared as a panelist on the BBC's 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...
in Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
. On 10 March 2011, he appeared again on Question Time, this time in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. He has appeared as a commentator on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
's Politics Show.
Politics
It was suggested in June 2006 by 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...
leader David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
that, if he joined the Conservative Party and put himself forward, Ferrari could win the ballot to be the party's candidate for Mayor of London
Mayor of London
The Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
. Ferrari indicated, however, that he would not stand, as he "did not want to leave the listeners" and joked that he "couldn't take the pay cut". Later, he began to see merit in the idea and discussed what policies he might introduce should he become Mayor: amongst these were re-introducing the Routemaster
Routemaster
The AEC Routemaster is a model of double-decker bus that was built by Associated Equipment Company in 1954 and produced until 1968. Primarily front-engined, rear open-platform buses, a small number of variants were produced with doors and/or front entrances...
buses (with various modifications so that they would conform to disability and environmental laws) and scrapping the Mercedes-Benz "Bendy Buses" and, more controversially, putting a large levy on trainers in the run-up to the 2012 Olympic Games and doubling income tax on Human Rights lawyers. Ferrari later indicated that he would not stand as the Conservative candidate, a role that was taken by Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...
.
Ferrari does not recycle because the number of recycle bins mean "you've lost your front garden", he said on BBC's The Daily Politics
The Daily Politics
The Daily Politics is a British television show launched by the BBC in 2003. Presented by Andrew Neil and Jo Coburn, the programme takes an in-depth and sometimes irreverent look at the daily goings on in Westminster and other areas across Britain and the world, and includes interviews with leading...
.