Pete Price
Encyclopedia
Pete Price is a British
media personality
and radio presenter
, based in Merseyside
, England. He is best known for the Sunday night talk radio show Pete Price: Unzipped, broadcast across sister station
s City Talk 105.9
and Radio City 96.7
. The show is aired live from 10pm to 2am and follows an open forum format. Price's weeknight phone in, Late Night City airs live between 10pm and 2am, from Monday to Thursday and is simulcast
on City Talk 105.9 and Radio City 96.7.
He is also a comedian, author, patron for Claire House Childrens Hospice
and columnist for the Liverpool Echo
. He is well known for being openly
gay
which is often the subject of prank call
s to his radio show. He is dyslexic
and often has trouble reading texts
or emails on air. To complement his radio show Price also gives out a personal phone number for listeners to talk to him in confidence.
on the Wirral Peninsula
. He was notably closer to his mother than his father, who repeatedly was violent towards Hilda Price. When he was twelve he came to terms with his homosexuality
, but when consulting his doctor he was told he'd "grow out of it". Two years later Price went back to the same doctor, only be to prescribed some Valium. A combination of his homosexuality, problems with school and problems socially put him into a state of despair. At the age of fourteen he attempted to overdose on child-strength aspirin
, only to wake up the next morning.
At fifteen Price was working as a hairdresser at the weekend whilst studying cookery at Wirral Metropolitan College
(then Birkenhead Technical College). He soon got a job working for the wealthy Ward family, catering for their dinner parties, as well as being a close family friend.
He soon got a professional catering job, a summer at the Cavendish Hotel in Eastbourne
and went on to manage a Fullers Tea Shop in Worthing
.
Price was sent to an institution in Chester
to receive aversion therapy
when he came out
to his mother at age eighteen. He left a further day later after being exposed to people being "treated" using electrodes. A few days later he recognised one of the psychiatrist
s from the institution in a gay bar
. Price couldn't control his anger and assault
ed the psychiatrist. The psychiatrist did not wish to press charges and Price kept the events in the institution, and why he assaulted him, a secret. However, in 1993, after stories been coming out of others being treated this way in hospitals he decided to go public with his story, in order to encourage more people to come forward.
After several years as the cook on a cruise ship, he became a DJ
for BBC Radio Merseyside
at the age of twenty-one. Shortly after, Price made his first appearance on the comedy scene at Liverpool's 'The Shakespeare', working at various venues which include The Palladium and the QE2
. In the 1980s, he became a presenter on his former station's rival, 194 Radio City
, and has remained so in its various incarnations since.
He continues to star in pantomimes in Liverpool and Merseyside, as well as working for national newspapers including The Independent
and The Times
.
As a broadcaster he has worked with national BBC Radio One and Radio City for over 20 years, and continues to host his late night talk show on CityTalk.
In April 2009, Price was made an 'Honourary Scouser' by the Lord Mayor of Liverpool
.
.
He often jokes about releasing a second autobiography entitled The Bitch is Back. This autobiography, to be published on the day of his death, he says, would contain a list of all the men he has slept with.
Price presents a live phone-in programme which is broadcast on Radio City 96.7 and City Talk 105.9. The format encompasses a two-hour discussion, followed by the news and an 'Open Forum' in which callers may talk about any topic they wish. For the discussion segment, guests are sometime invited. Guest have included Dennis the Chemist whose pharmaceutical knowledge has been described as "truly astounding", and Pheobe, an alleged psychic
and Angel Card reader
. The programme is one of the most popular night-time talk shows in the UK, with one show recently attracting 19,000 attempted calls.
In his Liverpool Echo
column, Pete has claimed that he was once asked to murder someone, but declined.
In January 2006, Pete's show on sister station Magic 1548
hit the headlines in Liverpool when a regular caller known as "Terry" stopped responding live on air during a debate. After Merseyside Police
refused to check on the man's safety, Pete again abandoned the show (music was played after he left the St. John's Beacon
studios) to travel to the man's home. Unfortunately, as he arrived, Pete saw an ambulance outside the house. Concerned listeners had already gained entry into the man's home and found that he had died from a suspected heart attack. Soon after this, the Monday-Thursday show left Magic 1548 and was moved to Radio City 96.7
's late night phone-in.
Also in September 2007, an extract from his autobiography was published in the Liverpool Echo, which revealed that Price had abused cocaine
, although he "handed himself in" to the police shortly after through shame.
In October 2007, it was reported by the Liverpool Echo that Price had received a "homophobic" death threat via text live on air. The sender was arrested shortly afterwards when police were contacted immediately after the receipt of the threatening text. They also reported that "on another occasion, a man tried to break into Radio City's headquarters, because he had become convinced Price had tried to kill John Lennon"
In January 2008 Pete tried to find his natural father by using the networking skills of an imprisoned Sicilian Mafia boss Bernardo Provenzano
in the hope that "The Don" can help him trace his dad. His biological mother, upon restoring contact with him, give him a photograph of his biological father: a Sicilian
prisoner of war held near Warrington
. Pete himself said that the Mafia must have the best information network in the world.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
media personality
Infotainment
Infotainment is "information-based media content or programming that also includes entertainment content in an effort to enhance popularity with audiences and consumers." It is a neologistic portmanteau of information and entertainment, referring to a type of media which provides a combination of...
and radio presenter
Radio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
, based in Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, England. He is best known for the Sunday night talk radio show Pete Price: Unzipped, broadcast across sister station
Sister station
In broadcasting, sister stations or sister channels are radio and/or television stations operated by the same ownership....
s City Talk 105.9
City Talk 105.9
City Talk 105.9 is a commercial radio station in Liverpool, England. The station was awarded a licence by Ofcom on 9 November 2006 and the station launched on 28 January 2008. City Talk is a sister station to the existing Bauer Radio-owned Radio City and Magic 1548, and the stations share studio...
and Radio City 96.7
Radio City 96.7
Radio City 96.7 is a British Independent Local Radio station, based in Liverpool, that serves Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales...
. The show is aired live from 10pm to 2am and follows an open forum format. Price's weeknight phone in, Late Night City airs live between 10pm and 2am, from Monday to Thursday and is simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
on City Talk 105.9 and Radio City 96.7.
He is also a comedian, author, patron for Claire House Childrens Hospice
Claire House Childrens Hospice
Claire House Children's Hospice is a children's hospice in England. The hospice provides care to children up to the age of 23 with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions. Services include specialist respite, palliative, terminal and bereavement care...
and columnist for the Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
The Liverpool Echo is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is published Monday to Saturday, and is Liverpool's evening newspaper while its sister paper, the Liverpool Daily Post, is the morning paper...
. He is well known for being openly
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
which is often the subject of prank call
Prank call
A prank call is a form of practical joke committed over the telephone. Prank phone calls began to gain an America-wide following over a period of many years, as they gradually became a staple of the obscure and amusing cassette tapes traded amongst musicians, sound engineers, and media traders...
s to his radio show. He is dyslexic
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, or rapid...
and often has trouble reading texts
SMS
SMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...
or emails on air. To complement his radio show Price also gives out a personal phone number for listeners to talk to him in confidence.
Early life
Price was adopted at three months old in May 1946 by Hilda Price and David Lloyd. He was raised in West KirbyWest Kirby
West Kirby is a town on the north-west corner of the coast of the Wirral Peninsula, England, at the mouth of the River Dee across from the Point of Ayr in North Wales. To the north-east of the town lies Hoylake, with the suburbs of Grange and Newton to the east, and the village of Caldy to the...
on the Wirral Peninsula
Wirral Peninsula
Wirral or the Wirral is a peninsula in North West England. It is bounded by three bodies of water: to the west by the River Dee, forming a boundary with Wales, to the east by the River Mersey and to the north by the Irish Sea. Both terms "Wirral" and "the Wirral" are used locally , although the...
. He was notably closer to his mother than his father, who repeatedly was violent towards Hilda Price. When he was twelve he came to terms with his homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
, but when consulting his doctor he was told he'd "grow out of it". Two years later Price went back to the same doctor, only be to prescribed some Valium. A combination of his homosexuality, problems with school and problems socially put him into a state of despair. At the age of fourteen he attempted to overdose on child-strength aspirin
Aspirin
Aspirin , also known as acetylsalicylic acid , is a salicylate drug, often used as an analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains, as an antipyretic to reduce fever, and as an anti-inflammatory medication. It was discovered by Arthur Eichengrun, a chemist with the German company Bayer...
, only to wake up the next morning.
At fifteen Price was working as a hairdresser at the weekend whilst studying cookery at Wirral Metropolitan College
Wirral Metropolitan College
Wirral Metropolitan College is a Further Education College situated on the Wirral Peninsula, in the north west of England.- Overview :Wirral Met is the largest provider of post 16 learning on the Wirral and is divided into three main Campuses:...
(then Birkenhead Technical College). He soon got a job working for the wealthy Ward family, catering for their dinner parties, as well as being a close family friend.
He soon got a professional catering job, a summer at the Cavendish Hotel in Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
and went on to manage a Fullers Tea Shop in Worthing
Worthing
Worthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
.
Price was sent to an institution in Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
to receive aversion therapy
Aversion therapy
Aversion therapy is a form of psychological treatment in which the patient is exposed to a stimulus while simultaneously being subjected to some form of discomfort...
when he came out
The Closet
The Closet may refer to:* The Closet , Chinese film* The Closet , French film* The closet, referring to undisclosed homosexuality- See also :* Closet* Closet * In the closet...
to his mother at age eighteen. He left a further day later after being exposed to people being "treated" using electrodes. A few days later he recognised one of the psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
s from the institution in a gay bar
Gay bar
A gay bar is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender clientele; the term gay is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBT and queer communities...
. Price couldn't control his anger and assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
ed the psychiatrist. The psychiatrist did not wish to press charges and Price kept the events in the institution, and why he assaulted him, a secret. However, in 1993, after stories been coming out of others being treated this way in hospitals he decided to go public with his story, in order to encourage more people to come forward.
Radio career
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
for BBC Radio Merseyside
BBC Radio Merseyside
BBC Radio Merseyside is the BBC Local Radio service for the English metropolitan county of Merseyside and north Cheshire. It was the third BBC local radio station to launch on 22 November 1967 initially serving the south west of historic Lancashire....
at the age of twenty-one. Shortly after, Price made his first appearance on the comedy scene at Liverpool's 'The Shakespeare', working at various venues which include The Palladium and the QE2
RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
Queen Elizabeth 2, often referred to simply as the QE2, is an ocean liner that was operated by Cunard from 1969 to 2008. Following her retirement from cruising, she is now owned by Istithmar...
. In the 1980s, he became a presenter on his former station's rival, 194 Radio City
Magic 1548
Magic 1548 is a local commercial radio station in the Liverpool area of England, on the frequency of 1548 AM. Magic is a sister station to Radio City and City Talk 105.9, with which it shares studios atop Radio City Tower in Liverpool city centre.-Coverage:...
, and has remained so in its various incarnations since.
He continues to star in pantomimes in Liverpool and Merseyside, as well as working for national newspapers including The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
and 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...
.
As a broadcaster he has worked with national BBC Radio One and Radio City for over 20 years, and continues to host his late night talk show on CityTalk.
In April 2009, Price was made an 'Honourary Scouser' by the Lord Mayor of Liverpool
Lord Mayor of Liverpool
The office of Mayor of Liverpool has existed since the foundation of Liverpool as a borough by the Royal Charter of King John in 1207. This changed, however, some time after Liverpool was granted city status in 1880 when it was deemed necessary for the "second city of the Empire" to have a Lord Mayor...
.
Autobiography
In September 2007, Price launched his autobiography (co-written by Adrian Butler), Pete Price: Namedropper topped Liverpool best seller charts within its first few days of sale, also being serialised in local newspaper the Liverpool EchoLiverpool Echo
The Liverpool Echo is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is published Monday to Saturday, and is Liverpool's evening newspaper while its sister paper, the Liverpool Daily Post, is the morning paper...
.
He often jokes about releasing a second autobiography entitled The Bitch is Back. This autobiography, to be published on the day of his death, he says, would contain a list of all the men he has slept with.
Show
Price's current show was originally broadcast on Magic Radio, until it garnered mass attention following controversies with callers on air.Price presents a live phone-in programme which is broadcast on Radio City 96.7 and City Talk 105.9. The format encompasses a two-hour discussion, followed by the news and an 'Open Forum' in which callers may talk about any topic they wish. For the discussion segment, guests are sometime invited. Guest have included Dennis the Chemist whose pharmaceutical knowledge has been described as "truly astounding", and Pheobe, an alleged psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
and Angel Card reader
Oracle card decks
Oracle card decks claim to provide insight and positive outlooks to people. Modern oracle cards are conceptually similar to divinatory tarot cards, but they are often not divided into playing card suits. They often lack what is often seen as the "darker" images of traditional tarot cards. Unlike...
. The programme is one of the most popular night-time talk shows in the UK, with one show recently attracting 19,000 attempted calls.
Controversy
Pete was praised for abandoning his midweek show on one occasion in February 2004 to go to the aid of a 13-year-old caller who was threatening to kill himself.In his Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
The Liverpool Echo is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is published Monday to Saturday, and is Liverpool's evening newspaper while its sister paper, the Liverpool Daily Post, is the morning paper...
column, Pete has claimed that he was once asked to murder someone, but declined.
In January 2006, Pete's show on sister station Magic 1548
Magic 1548
Magic 1548 is a local commercial radio station in the Liverpool area of England, on the frequency of 1548 AM. Magic is a sister station to Radio City and City Talk 105.9, with which it shares studios atop Radio City Tower in Liverpool city centre.-Coverage:...
hit the headlines in Liverpool when a regular caller known as "Terry" stopped responding live on air during a debate. After Merseyside Police
Merseyside Police
Merseyside Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing Merseyside in North West England. The force area is 647 square kilometres with a population of around 1.5 million...
refused to check on the man's safety, Pete again abandoned the show (music was played after he left the St. John's Beacon
St. John's Beacon
Radio City Tower is a radio and observation tower in Liverpool, England built in 1969 and opened by Queen Elizabeth II. It is 138 metres tall, and was built as a ventilation shaft for St. John's Market, however was never used as such due to a new law passed on the year of completion...
studios) to travel to the man's home. Unfortunately, as he arrived, Pete saw an ambulance outside the house. Concerned listeners had already gained entry into the man's home and found that he had died from a suspected heart attack. Soon after this, the Monday-Thursday show left Magic 1548 and was moved to Radio City 96.7
Radio City 96.7
Radio City 96.7 is a British Independent Local Radio station, based in Liverpool, that serves Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales...
's late night phone-in.
Also in September 2007, an extract from his autobiography was published in the Liverpool Echo, which revealed that Price had abused cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
, although he "handed himself in" to the police shortly after through shame.
In October 2007, it was reported by the Liverpool Echo that Price had received a "homophobic" death threat via text live on air. The sender was arrested shortly afterwards when police were contacted immediately after the receipt of the threatening text. They also reported that "on another occasion, a man tried to break into Radio City's headquarters, because he had become convinced Price had tried to kill John Lennon"
In January 2008 Pete tried to find his natural father by using the networking skills of an imprisoned Sicilian Mafia boss Bernardo Provenzano
Bernardo Provenzano
Bernardo Provenzano is a member of the Sicilian Mafia and is suspected of having been the head of the Corleonesi, a Mafia faction that originated in the village of Corleone, and de facto capo di tutti capi of the entire Sicilian Mafia until his arrest in 2006.His nickname is Binnu u tratturi...
in the hope that "The Don" can help him trace his dad. His biological mother, upon restoring contact with him, give him a photograph of his biological father: a Sicilian
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
prisoner of war held near Warrington
Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
. Pete himself said that the Mafia must have the best information network in the world.