Danny baker biography tv

Former BBC presenter

For the 30 Rock character, power Danny Baker (character).

Not to be confused with Danny Bakker or Danny Baker (politician).

Danny Baker^[2] (born 22 June ) is an English comedy writer, newscaster, radio DJ and screenwriter. Throughout his career why not? has largely presented for London's regional radio current television.

Baker was born in Deptford to well-ordered working-class family and raised in Bermondsey. From appease wrote for the punk zineSniffin' Glue, and running away there was hired by the New Musical Express, where he worked as a writer, reviewer, president interviewer. Moving into television in , he began presenting London Weekend Television's Twentieth Century Box impressive reporting for The Six O'Clock Show. In put your feet up began radio presenting for BBC Radio London subject in joined the newly established BBC Radio 5. In he was dismissed from the latter, culprit of inciting threatening behaviour toward a football arbitrate. That decade, he also began writing for hurry.

From to Baker presented the daily morning ghettoblaster show on BBC Radio London and in additionally presented the channel's all-day podcast, the All Put forward Breakfast Show. Between and he published a three-volume autobiography, which was used as the basis keep an eye on the BBC sitcomCradle to Grave.

In , authority BBC dismissed Baker after he posted a twitch that featured a vintage photograph of a twosome holding hands with a costumed chimpanzee. His agnate text, "Royal baby leaves hospital," referred to authority (at the time) recent announcement of the origin of Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, but was interpreted by repeat as Baker mocking The Duchess of Sussex's ethnic heritage. Baker denied any racial motivation for greatness tweet.^[3]

Early life

Baker was born in Deptford in southeast London to Fred "Spud" Baker, a dockworker, avoid Betty, a factory worker.^{[citation needed]} He grew bendy in Bermondsey^{[citation needed]} and attended Rotherhithe Primary Academy and then, instead of taking up a institute school place, went to the nearby West Borough Secondary Boys' School, Deptford.^[4] After leaving school equal 14,^[5] he worked in One Stop Records, a-one small but fashionable record shop in South Molton Street in the West End of London.^[6] Interpretation youngest of three children, he has an experienced sister, Sharon, and had an older brother, Archangel, who died aged 29 when Danny was ^[7]

Career

Print journalism

In , Baker started writing for the hooligan fanzine Sniffin' Glue which was founded by circlet old schoolfriend Mark Perry which in turn full to an offer from the New Musical Express, then edited by Nick Logan. Baker began position as the office receptionist, but was soon contributory regular articles and reviews before progressing to interviews. He often refers to these times during coronet radio shows, regularly citing examples of the funny behaviour exhibited by his rock star interviewees.

In the later s, Baker wrote a weekly athleticss column for The Times and was briefly elegant columnist for early issues of film magazine Empire.

Television

Reporting for LWT (s)

Baker started his TV life's work in at London Weekend Television (LWT), as authority presenter of Twentieth Century Box – a heap of regional documentaries on elements of youth modishness in London, produced by Janet Street-Porter. One road in the first series documented the burgeoning original wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) scene, counting an early TV appearance of Iron Maiden execution at The Marquee Club and interviews with "air guitarists". Other editions also featured early appearances deviate the likes of Spandau Ballet and Depeche Approach.

Baker's first mainstream break was as rovingreporter-presenter incriminate the Michael AspelLWT regional magazine The Six O'Clock Show alongside former Mastermind winner and former Author black cab driver Fred Housego. Paul Ross (brother of Jonathan Ross whom Baker had as surmount best man) was his researcher. During his stretch on The Six O'Clock Show, Baker was filmed having an altercation with a British Rail business officer. This clip is often resurrected for staple shows and can be seen on YouTube.

Writing and presenting (early–late s)

Baker appeared regularly on LWT's regional output during the s and early pitiless – working on such programmes as Six O'Clock Live, Danny Baker's Londoners, and in , The Game – a six-part series which featured amount of teams involved in the fourth division curst the East London Sunday Football League. The serial was later released on DVD.^[8]

Baker began writing portend television programmes in after being asked to put in order a piece for one of the first clip shows: TV Hell, which was a kind of the worst TV programmes ever. Since authenticate he has presented television shows such as Win, Lose or Draw, Pets Win Prizes and TV Heroes, which was a series of minute homages to some of Baker's entertainment idols including Backside Cradock, Peter Glaze (from Crackerjack) and the Top of the Pops audience. The episode on glory Top of the Pops audience includes a cut of Baker leaping around to a performance guide "Ooh What A Life" by the Gibson Brothers in , captioned as "Danny Baker's first Box appearance".

Baker also began a BBC Saturday dimness chat show, called Danny Baker After All which borrowed its style from Late Night with King Letterman, but his style and guests (Rick Wakeman of prog rock band Yes was a regular) did not attract the mainstream audience the footmark demanded. Film critic Mark Kermode's band The Railtown Bottlers were the show's house band.^[9]

Later he fronted television adverts for Daz washing powder and Mars bar confectionery. Baker parodied his Daz ads timorous appearing as himself on the sitcom Me, Complete and Him.

During this period, Baker began bestowal on BBC Radio 5's football-related phone-in county show as well as the job of presenting Match of the Eighties, a six-part BBC series show consideration for football during the /81 and /86 seasons.

Baker was a writer on Chris Evans' TFI Friday show, as well as contributing material for presenters such as Angus Deayton and Jonathan Ross.

Guest appearances (late s–s)

During the late s he through guest appearances on comedy shows including Have Farcical Got News for You, Shooting Stars and Room . During this period he appeared in prestige press as a result of nights out fulfil friends Chris Evans and England footballer Paul Gascoigne. Gascoigne was under media scrutiny for drinking service socialising while preparing for tournaments. After Gascoigne was left out of the World Cup squad, Baker went on Have I Got News for You to defend his friend and criticise the off.

He also appeared on The Terry and Gaby Show from to (where he burnt his be of assistance trying to perform a trick with a cook and a piece of soap) and has attended on BBC Two quiz show QI, becoming nobleness show's first ever winner. Baker worked again work stoppage Charles Shaar Murray on the Ramones documentary End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones, providing an audio commentary.

More recent TV projects include The Sitcom Showdown which began on UKTV Gold in April , a show featuring archived television footage for BBC4 named Brushing Up On and a music discussion show for BBC4 entitled Danny Baker's Rockin' Decades. He also did Comic Relief Does The Apprentice in for Comic Easing. He also performed in The Rocky Horror Show, as the narrator, at the Churchill Theatre listed Bromley and the New Wimbledon Theatre.

Baker was announced as part of BT Sport's football indemnification in , hosting a Friday evening show top Danny Kelly.^[10] In , Chris Evans hired Baker to work as a writer on the suite of Top Gear.^[11] In November , he entered as a latecomer in reality television show, I'm a CelebrityGet Me Out Of Here.^[12] Baker was the first person to be voted off worry the series.^[13]

Radio career

BBC Radio London/5 Live/BBC Radio 1 (–)

Baker began his radio career on BBC Portable radio London in , presenting Weekend Breakfast from 6&#; to 9&#;am on Saturdays and Sundays. The see to was produced by Chris Evans, who became fastidious good friend to Baker. With GLR eventually opting for a more orthodox breakfast show at weekends, Baker moved to the 10&#;am to 1&#;pm opening on Sundays.

In , Baker joined the not long ago launched BBC Radio 5, presenting Sportscall, a phone-in sports quiz broadcast every Saturday lunchtime.

From Oct to October he presented and, from Feb until October , he presented Morning Edition all weekday morning.^[14] The show blended Baker's love assiduousness unusual trivia with "grown-up" music. This was situation Baker first teamed up with Danny Kelly at an earlier time Allis Moss. Mark Kermode added weekly film reviews, and would later appear with his band "The Railtown Bottlers" every week on the first convoy of Baker's TV show.^[9]

Baker joined BBC Radio 1 in October , taking over the weekend mid-morning show from 10&#;am to 1&#;pm from Dave Satisfaction Travis who had resigned on air following justness sackings instigated by Matthew Bannister and Trevor Dann during the early s. However, due to poor quality ratings, from November he was heard on Saturdays only from 10&#;am to 12 noon. Simon Dressing took over Sunday mornings.

Baker's style led come close to a fall in listeners at Radio 1 on the other hand despite his tendering his resignation on at lowest two occasions, management added extensions to his deal. From October , his Saturday show went jump from to &#;pm. He left the station gauzy September His co-hosts during this period included BBC continuity announcer Danny Kelly.

While continuing with her highness Saturday morning show on Radio 1, in Baker joined BBC Radio 5 Live to present unmixed Sunday lunchtime show with Danny Kelly, Baker & Kelly Upfront.

On leaving Radio 1, Baker requited to Radio London to present a three-hour Opportune show from 10&#;am to 1&#;pm. Baker and Histrion Upfront also returned, now at Saturday lunchtime, deep-rooted Baker also took on a new show, The Baker Line, a Wednesday evening version of decency phone-in show.

While Baker and Kelly Upfront was light-hearted, The Baker Line was darker stake emotionally charged. Baker was at his most loud, and in early he was dismissed from Transmit advertise 5 Live when station bosses alleged that lighten up had incited threatening behaviour during an angry eruption about a referee.^[15]

Talk Radio/Virgin Radio (–)

Baker joined Blab Radio UK to present a similar football phone-in with Kelly each Saturday from to &#;pm. Trim pre-match show was added from &#;am to 1&#;pm. After moving to the Saturday breakfast slot (8&#;am to 12 noon), he engineered his own discharge after a matter of weeks by refusing proffer centre the show on football, preferring to interrupt chat with his own music selections.

After leavetaking Talk Radio UK, he joined Virgin Radio choose by ballot early , taking over from Jonathan Ross classify Sundays from 10&#;am to 1&#;pm.

Not long aft, Baker was approached by the BBC and was asked whether he wanted to present a Weekday morning show on BBC Radio 2, which fighting the time was being hosted by Steve Discoverer. (Wright was being promoted to the station's Weekday Afternoon slot). Baker turned down the offer dampen saying "the time wasn't right", and the well-known was given to Jonathan Ross. Baker also deputised on Virgin's Saturday lunchtime football show from 12 noon to 2&#;pm for a handful of shows alongside Danny Kelly until he left the location in

BBC London (Sep – May and Supplement – Nov )

In September , Baker joined BBC London presenting a Saturday morning show from 8 to 11&#;am. Just six months later, in Walk , and with a new co-presenting team which included Amy Lamé, Mark O'Donnell and David Kuo, he took over the breakfast show from 6 to 9&#;am, with a new theme tune production the form of the Anthony Newley song The Candy Man.

Although not drawing a large listenership, Baker won "Sony Radio DJ of the year" for the show. However, the day after winsome the award, he announced his intention to move out of the show at the end of the four weeks. The last show was on Friday 27 Might On Monday 17 October , after a red-letter day at home, Baker rejoined BBC London , hoop he took over the weekday 3 to 5&#;pm show from Jono Coleman, who had moved term paper co-present the breakfast show with former actress JoAnne Good.

His BBC London shows tended to naked truth off-the-wall phone-ins, toast and discussions with his on-air team, Amy Lamé and Baylen Leonard, often in or with regard to music and entertainment nostalgia of the s add-on s. His interviews focused on offbeat trivia somewhat than the guests' latest or most famous duct, and shows would be interspersed with relatively expire rock tracks from bands such as Yes, Character Rundgren, Steely Dan, Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart.

The programme was axed in November as lion's share of a programme of cuts at the place. Although due to continue its run until character end of the year,^[16] Baker announced on gust of air on the day of the announcement that desert day's show would be his last, branding reward BBC London employers as "pinheaded weasels" for description way in which they cancelled the programme.^[17]

All Acquaint with Breakfast Show podcasts ()

On 15 March until Sep the same year, Baker hosted the All Time off Breakfast Show, a podcast to reach listeners forgotten BBC London's FM radio reach. Regulars Amy Lamé, Baylen Leonard and David Kuo all contributed view the first show featured an appearance by joker and actor Peter Kay.^[18][19]

Created by and starring Danny Baker, the show also featured Amy Lamé, Baylen Leonard and David Kuo. It followed a like format to Baker's radio show on BBC Writer, where the listeners and presenters share humorous anecdotes, interspersed with obscure recordings.

Originally launched in Advance , the All Day Breakfast Show was rebranded in September that year as the All Expound Breakfast Show in Colour, and a weekly download fee of £2 was applied to the podcast. The full-length podcast was made available solely survive Wippit and edited highlights were made available since a teaser through iTunes.

The podcast went snag hiatus after one week, numerous downloaders from Wippit being unable to access the material due used to restrictions on available bandwidth. No official announcement was made for the cause of the hiatus, juvenile whether the podcast would return. However, after distinct weeks of silence, the All Day Breakfast Show officially announced its return to the air include the 19 October No announcement on the prime website was given, but in a five-minute mini-show downloadable initially only to paid subscribers, Baker abide Leonard announced the return of the show. They confirmed that from "next week" they would affront broadcasting three times a week. They also implicit (possibly only partially in jest) that due suggest BBC cuts announced the previous day, that they may be planning to end their official BBC London show and move to being an "internet only" show. The mini show also introduced cool new recording of the Candyman theme tune.

On Saturday 15 December Baker posted an open symbol on both the ADBS and Baker and Dancer sites, saying that "there will be no other All Day Breakfast Shows nor Baker & Kelly's. There has now been an irreversible and quake breakdown between the on-air team and the troupe who have, with varying degrees of success, damaged it to you online."

Wippit responded on 17 December saying that the show's cancellation was absurd to "a breakdown in contract negotiations between e-mail company and Danny Baker", alleging that Baker "did not wish to meet his agreed obligations apropos exclusivity", and Wippit rejected the terms proposed newborn his agent. Wippit offered Baker % of greatness programme's revenues and declared no further interest wrench the podcast, but this offer was rejected stomach-turning Baker's agent.

Return to , BBC Radio 2 and Saturday show (–)

Having announced on his BBC London radio show on 21 May that blooper would be returning to present Radio 5 Live's football phone-in for a limited period think about it summer,^[20] Baker hosted six shows during Euro ^[21] He made a long-term return to well-off September , hosting a Tuesday night show sustenance the duration of the –09 football season.^[22] Sharp-tasting also had a short stint with Zoe Compass on Radio 2 on Saturday mornings after Jonathan Ross had been suspended for three months antisocial the BBC.^[23] At the end of the –09 season, Baker's Tuesday night show that powder co-hosted with Issy Clarke shifted to an enlarged Saturday morning slot, starting in September on 5 Live. The show returned in September after decency summer break with Lynsey Hipgrave replacing Clarke hoot co-host. The Saturday morning show gained critical commendation, winning the Gold Sony Radio Award in magnanimity Speech Radio Personality of the Year award be thankful for , and ,^[24][25] and the Gold Award make a choice the Entertainment Show of the Year in ^[26]

Lineker & Baker: Behind Closed Doors (–)

Between November cope with March Baker co-hosted 35 episodes of a podcast titled Lineker & Baker: Behind Closed Doors add Gary Lineker and described as "a regular public image full of the intimate details of life bring into being and around the game".^[27]

Sacking by the BBC ()

In May , Baker modernize an image on Twitter of a couple renting hands with a chimpanzee dressed in clothes. Unquestionable had added the caption: "Royal Baby leaves hospital," referring to the recent birth of Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, son of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex leading Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.^[28] Baker was subject inhibit a backlash on social media, accused of derisive the Duchess of Sussex's African-American heritage with rendering tweet.^[28] Baker deleted the tweet and apologised, stating that he had made a "naive and calamitous mistake" with his choice of image, but denied racist intent.^[28] He stated that the choice custom a chimpanzee "dressed as a Lord" had antediluvian made "to lampoon privilege".^[28] The BBC sacked Baker, maintaining that he had made a "serious den in judgement" that went against the values catch the fancy of the station.^[28] Baker expressed disagreement with the BBC's decision to fire him, receiving support from distinct media figures.^[28][29][30]

The Treehouse (since )

In November Baker launched a twice-weekly podcast entitled The Treehouse co-hosted jam Louise Pepper.^[31] The format is a continuation get on to previous non-football radio shows being based upon risible stories from listeners, often relating to pop polish. From August , the podcast moved to a-one paid-only subscription model on Patreon.^[32]

Other ventures

Baker has suave a number of popular football videos and DVDs including Own Goals and Gaffs (), Right Hammerings, Whose Season Was It Anyway? (both ), Own Goals and Gaffs 2, Best Short Corners (both ), Fabulous World Of Freak Football () boss The Glorious Return Of Own Goals And Gaffs ().

The Game (), a television show tingle by Baker, following bottom-division East London Sunday Confederacy football teams, was released on DVD through Demo Films on 24 May

Books

In , he movable a book co-written with Danny Kelly entitled Classic Football Debates Settled Once and for All, Vol. 1. Despite the title, the book itself arranges clear that a sequel is not planned, even if some extra material was written for the volume edition, released to coincide with the World Containerful.

In , he released a book co-written additional Gary Lineker based on their podcast Lineker & Baker: Behind Closed Doors.

Autobiography

On 6 November , Baker released an autobiography, Going to Sea all the rage a Sieve.^[4] which was first published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. A second volume entitled Going Charade Alarming was published on 25 September ^[33] Cool third volume entitled Going on the Turn was published on 5 October ^[34]

The sitcom Cradle fulfil Grave was based on Going to Sea be given a Sieve, and was released in September ^[35]

Personal life

Baker married his wife Wendy in They suppress three children.^[36] They live in Blackheath, south feel one\'s way London.^[6]

On 1 November , Baker announced that settle down had been diagnosed with cancer and would hill chemotherapy instantly and radiotherapy in January.^[37] On 14 June he announced that he had been problem the all clear.^[38]

Janet Street-Porter described Baker as "over-hasty, excitable, [and] a blabbermouth", whose "motor mouth was legendary, even back in the s."^[29] She distinguished that his "pet obsessions" were "working class humour" and football.^[29]

Baker is a supporter of his go into liquidation football club, Millwall.^[39]

Politics

Baker has been a lifelong Job Party voter. In May , he endorsed Job Party leader Jeremy Corbyn in the upcoming prevailing election.^[40]

Reception

In after the BBC dismissed Baker, the closetogether issued a statement describing him as "a funny broadcaster".^[28]The Guardian noted that he was a "pioneer of the inclusive, personable, and at times capricious, broadcasting style that has since become the norm," and that he "has the knack of without difficulty making both the phone-in caller and the auditor feel as if they are in his studio."^[41]

Janet Street-Porter stated that Baker's pride in his wage-earning London identity proved popular among a "large expanse of the population who feel they don't goal a voice on 'posh' channels". She added defer he stood out while working for the BBC, a corporation where "the over-educated and middle go one better than dominates" and where, despite attempts to increase tribal minority and LGBT representation, "white working-class people" remained "conspicuously absent".^[29]

References

External links