135-552: Sir Michael Terence Wogan KBE DL ( / ˈ w oʊ ɡ ən / ; 3 August 1938 – 31 January 2016) was an Irish-British radio and television broadcaster who worked for the BBC in the UK for most of his career. Between 1993 and his semi-retirement in December 2009, his BBC Radio 2 weekday breakfast programme Wake Up to Wogan regularly drew an estimated eight million listeners. He
270-529: A vox pop , which resulted in support for the award. He was made an Honorary Freeman of the City of London in 2009, and invited to raise the bascules of Tower Bridge . In 2004, he received an Honorary D.Litt. degree from the University of Limerick , as well as a special lifetime achievement award from his native city. He received an Honorary LL.D. degree from Leicester University in 2010. In 1978, Wogan
405-543: A GBE (in recognition of his role as chairman of the Scottish War Savings Committee) and the award of medal of the order to Lizzie Robinson, a munitions worker. The order had been established primarily as a civilian award; in August 1918, however, not long after its foundation, a number of awards were made to serving naval and military personnel. Four months later, a 'Military Division' was added to
540-404: A broad riband or sash, passing from the right shoulder to the left hip. Knights Commander and male Commanders wear the badge from a ribbon around the neck; male Officers and Members wear the badge from a ribbon on the left chest; female recipients other than Dames Grand Cross (unless in military uniform) normally wear it from a bow on the left shoulder. An oval eight-pointed star is worn, pinned to
675-553: A burning building containing explosives. In December 1922 the statutes of the order were amended; there having been a large number of awards for war work prior to this date, these amended statutes placed the order on more of a peacetime footing. For the first time numbers of appointments were limited, with the stipulation that senior awards in the Civil Division were to outnumber those in the Military Division by
810-530: A cameo appearance in the second series of Being Human , and also guest-hosted the fourth episode of the 24th series of Never Mind the Buzzcocks . The following year, Wogan hosted Wogan on Wodehouse for BBC Two . In 2011 he appeared as a panellist on Would I Lie To You . On 21 September 2013, Wogan appeared as a panellist on ITV game show Through the Keyhole . In November 2013, he participated in
945-727: A celebrity edition of the BBC One game show Pointless , with celebrities including Bobby Ball and Esther Rantzen , in aid of Children in Need . On 31 March 2014, Wogan was a guest reporter on Bang Goes the Theory , on which he discussed old-age dementia. From 12 to 16 May 2014, Wogan appeared on the Channel 4 game show Draw It! . On 10 November 2014, in the run up to that year's Children in Need telethon, Wogan guest hosted an episode of The One Show with Alex Jones . He also presented
1080-497: A challenge from Radio 1 for listeners during the breakfast slot. According to figures leaked to British newspapers in April 2006, Wogan was the highest-paid BBC radio presenter at that time, with an £800,000-a-year salary. In an interview with Britain's Hello! magazine in its 30 May 2006 issue, Wogan confirmed this, saying that he represented "good value". On 23 May 2005, he crossed BBC strike picket lines to present his show. Wogan
1215-453: A circlet bearing the motto of the Order; the reverse bears George V's Royal and Imperial Cypher. (Prior to 1937 Britannia was shown within the circlet.) The size of the badges varies according to rank: the higher classes have slightly larger badges. The badges of Knights and Dames Grand Cross, Knights and Dames Commander, and Commanders are enamelled, with pale blue crosses, crimson circlets and
1350-466: A citizen of a Commonwealth realm can convert their appointment from honorary to substantive, and they then enjoy all privileges of membership of the order, including use of the title of Sir and Dame for the senior two ranks of the Order. (An example of the latter is Irish broadcaster Terry Wogan , who was appointed an honorary Knight Commander of the Order in 2005, and on successful application for British citizenship, held alongside his Irish citizenship,
1485-673: A daughter Vanessa, died when only a few weeks old) and five grandchildren. In 2010, Wogan described the anguish he felt on the loss of his baby daughter. In April 2013, Wogan attended the funeral of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher after being invited by her family. Wogan was brought up and educated as a Roman Catholic , but became an atheist at the age of 17. In an interview with Gay Byrne on RTÉ , he said that he respected those who had "the gift of faith". Wogan's health declined after Christmas 2015. He did not present Children in Need in November 2015, citing back pain as
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#17327901703771620-521: A fee every year since 1980 (£9,065 in 2005). Wogan stated that he would "quite happily do it for nothing" and that he "never asked for a fee". Wogan donated his BBC fees to the charity. The BBC stated that the fee had "never been negotiated" and was paid from BBC resources rather than the Children in Need fund. He appeared on the panel comedy show QI in the 2008 episode for Children in Need, ' Families '. In 2008, Wogan and singer Aled Jones released
1755-401: A former head of music at Radio 1, as its new head of music. Smith joined the network on 26 March. In the first quarter of 2011, Radio 2 was part of an efficiency review conducted by John Myers . His role, according to Andrew Harrison, the chief executive of RadioCentre, was "to identify both areas of best practice and possible savings." On 29 July 2013, Radio 2 changed its "sonic logo" for
1890-443: A gold central medallion. Officers' badges are plain silver-gilt, while those of Members are plain silver. From 1917 until 1937, the badge of the order was suspended on a purple ribbon, with a red central stripe being added for the military division in 1918. Since 1937, the ribbon has been rose-pink with pearl-grey edges (with the addition of a pearl-grey central stripe for the military division). Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear it on
2025-419: A lack of sleep the previous night. Her slurred speech throughout her show on 13 August 2007 also made the headlines. She blamed a sore throat and later took a month-long break. It was later reported that Kennedy was recovering from pneumonia, and she returned to work on 10 September. In October 2007, she was reprimanded after joking that she had almost run over a black pedestrian because she could not see him in
2160-542: A love of rock and roll . After leaving Belvedere in 1956, Wogan had a brief career in the banking profession, joining the Royal Bank of Ireland . Still in his twenties, he joined the national broadcaster of Ireland, Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ), as a newsreader and announcer, after seeing a newspaper advertisement inviting applicants. Wogan conducted interviews and presented documentary features during his first two years at Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ), before moving to
2295-464: A more mature audience than Radio 1 (which, post- Britpop , was again starting to focus on a young audience) but still embracing new music, and more specialist broadcasting by recognised genre experts in the evenings. Unlike the early-1990s repositioning of Radio 1, in which the BBC lost many well-known names, many former Radio 1 presenters stayed with the corporation and moved across to Radio 2. Radio 2 has
2430-538: A parody vocal version of the song " The Floral Dance " in 1978, by popular request from listeners who enjoyed hearing him sing over the instrumental hit by the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band . His version reached number 21 in the UK Singles Chart . In December 1984, Wogan left his breakfast show to pursue a full-time career in television and was replaced by Ken Bruce . His first chat show, Wogan's World ,
2565-530: A pastiche of children's learn to read stories, with humorous sexual double entendres , which often led to Wogan and Marsh breaking into laughter. Six CDs and two books of the stories have been sold in aid of Children in Need , raising over £4 million. A long-running campaign by Wogan criticising the British government for levying VAT on the CDs eventually led to a government rebate of £200,000. Another feature of
2700-492: A proportion of six to one. Furthermore appointments in the civil division were to be divided equally between UK and overseas awards. With regard to the Medal of the Order (but not the order itself), a distinction was made in 1922 between awards 'for gallantry' and awards 'for meritorious service' (each being appropriately inscribed, and the former having laurel leaves decorating the clasp, the latter oak leaves). In 1933 holders of
2835-482: A schedule change in July 2022, Sounds of the 80s moved back to Saturday evenings from 20:00–22:00. On Sundays, the schedule reverts closer to its old style, with a focus on easy listening and show tunes , with programmes like Elaine Paige on Sunday . Radio 2 does not broadcast complete works of classical music or offer in-depth discussion or drama, although some book readings, comedy and arts coverage remains on
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#17327901703772970-536: A sensation in the United Kingdom. As his radio show was considered to attract older listeners, Wogan jokingly referred to his fans as "TOGs", standing for "Terry's Old Geezers" or "Terry's Old Gals", while "TYGs" were "Terry's Young Geezers/Gals", who he joked were forced to listen to him because of their parents' choice of radio station. Wogan was referred to as "The Togmeister" on his own programme by himself and members of his production team, and he referred to
3105-586: A series called Terry and Mason's Great Food Trip with the cab driver Mason McQueen in 2015, in which the duo travelled all over Britain eating regional food. Wogan was appointed an Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1997, and later became an Honorary Knight Commander of the same order (KBE) in the 2005 Queen's Birthday Honours List . After asserting his right to British citizenship and retaining his Irish citizenship that year, Wogan
3240-447: A single " Little Drummer Boy"/"Peace on Earth ", which got to number three in the UK music charts. The money raised went to BBC Children in Need . The two recorded a second Christmas single " Silver Bells " in 2009, which was also in aid of BBC Children in Need. Wogan was the main regular presenter of Children in Need between 1980 and 2014. In November 2015, he was unable to participate in the live televised Children in Need appeal for
3375-537: Is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC . It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. The 'About Radio 2' BBC webpage says: "With a repertoire covering more than 60 years, Radio 2 plays the widest selection of music on the radio - from classic and mainstream pop to country, folk, jazz, musical theatre, soul, hip hop, rock 'n' roll, gospel and blues." Radio 2 broadcasts throughout
3510-516: Is an image of Britannia surrounded by the motto, with the words "For Meritorious Service" at the bottom; on the reverse is George V's Imperial and Royal Cypher, with the words "Instituted by King George V" at the bottom. The name of the recipient is engraved on the rim. This medal is nicknamed "the Gong", and comes in both full-sized and miniature versions – the latter for formal white-tie and semi-formal black-tie occasions. A lapel pin for everyday wear
3645-474: Is normally broadcast on Radio 4 and the World Service , is broadcast at 07:00, 08:00 and 17:00 on weekdays, 07:00 and 08:00 on Saturdays, and 07:00, 08:00 and 09:00 on Sundays. Radio 2 moved its studios from Broadcasting House to the adjacent Western House (renamed Wogan House in 2016) in 2006. Although the majority of programming comes from London, some shows are broadcast from other cities around
3780-922: Is not a member of the College of Arms , as are many other heraldic officers; and the Lady Usher of the Purple Rod does not – unlike the Order of the Garter equivalent, the Lady Usher of the Black Rod – perform any duties related to the House of Lords . Since the Second World War, several Commonwealth realms have established their own national system of honours and awards and have created their own unique orders, decorations and medals. A number, though, continue to make recommendations for appointments to
3915-695: The BBC Concert Orchestra and the BBC Big Band . Sounds of the 60s remains a regular fixture on the Saturday schedule, as does Sounds of the 70s on Sundays. On 5 October 2013, these two shows were joined by Sounds of the 80s , which was originally hosted by Sara Cox and broadcast on Friday from 22:00–midnight. In May 2018 Gary Davies took over this show, with Cox was hosting a live 22:00 to midnight slot from Monday–Thursday, until she moved to drivetime on 14 January 2019. As part of
4050-571: The BBC Light Programme , with some of the Light Programme's music shows transferring to the newly launched BBC Radio 1 . The first show had started on both Radio 1 and Radio 2 but continued with Breakfast Special presented by Paul Hollingdale as Radio 1 separated at 7am. The first record played on Radio 2 was the title track to the 1965 film The Sound of Music by Julie Andrews . In early years, much programming and music
4185-492: The BBC Trust , and in the interim, Ross and Brand were both suspended for 12 weeks from all BBC programmes pending investigation. Soon after these announcements, Brand announced his resignation from the BBC, shortly followed by the controller at the time, Lesley Douglas . Ross was suspended from the BBC without pay for 12 weeks. In July 2009, longtime presenter Malcolm Laycock announced his resignation live on air following
Terry Wogan - Misplaced Pages Continue
4320-562: The Eurovision Song Contest . He became known for his television commentary, which he handled first in 1973, again in 1978, then every year from 1980 until 2008. He co-hosted the 1998 contest with Ulrika Jonsson , in Birmingham 's National Indoor Arena on 9 May. Wogan was the third person in the contest's history to combine the roles of presenter and commentator. When not on stage, he was in his private booth providing
4455-597: The Musicians' Union . On 6 January 1975, broadcasting hours for Radio 2 were reduced due to budget cuts at the BBC. The 5am – 2am schedule was scaled back to a 6am start-up from Mondays to Saturdays, and 6:55am on Sundays. The station closed down at around 12:30am each day. However, from 29 September 1975, the closedown was brought forward to 12:10am on weekdays and 12:33am on Saturdays and Sundays. There were exceptions, especially over Christmas and New Year periods, when hours would be temporarily extended. The pre-1975 schedule
4590-495: The Order of Canada . On the other hand, the Australian Honours System unilaterally created in 1975 did not achieve bi-partisan support until 1992, which was when Australian federal and state governments agreed to cease Australian recommendations for British honours; the last Australian recommended Order of the British Empire appointments were in the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours . New Zealand continued to use
4725-511: The 1950s, 60s and 70s in a bid to entice some of the station's former listeners back. The station's audience is now primarily adults over the age of 35 (82% of listeners) although in recent years it has attracted younger listeners. Its daytime playlist features music from the 1960s to various current chart hits, album and indie music . The station's appeal is broad and deep, with accessible daytime programmes and specialist programmes of particular types or eras of music. In 2009, Radio 2 again won
4860-484: The 1970s and 1980s were Tom Edwards and Ray Moore , who both presented the early breakfast show, Terry Wogan on breakfast, replaced by Ken Bruce and later Derek Jameson ; Jimmy Young and his lunchtime current affairs show; David Hamilton on mid-afternoons and John Dunn at what became known as drivetime. In its early years, the station, as the Light Programme had done, played a large amount of specially-recorded music because of needle time restrictions imposed by
4995-473: The 21st century quotas were introduced to ensure consistent representation among recipients across nine categories of eligibility: with the largest proportion of awards being reserved for community, voluntary and local service. Non-military awards of the British Empire Medal resumed in 2012, starting with 293 BEMs awarded for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee . In 2017 the centenary of
5130-407: The BBC television series Stoppit and Tidyup , which was broadcast in 1987. Wogan appeared on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross four times, between 2004 and 2009. In an appearance on the BBC programme Top Gear , Wogan became the second-slowest guest to go around the test track as the " Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car ", a Suzuki Liana . Only Richard Whiteley was slower. In 2010, Wogan made
5265-792: The British Empire . Rather than using this chapel, the Order now holds its great services upstairs in the nave of the cathedral. In addition to the Chapel of the Order of the British Empire, St Paul's Cathedral also houses the Chapel of the Order of St Michael and St George . Religious services for the whole Order are held every four years; new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are installed at these services. Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander prefix Sir , and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commander prefix Dame , to their forenames. Wives of Knights may prefix Lady to their surnames, but no equivalent privilege exists for husbands of Knights or spouses of Dames. Such forms are not used by peers and princes, except when
5400-494: The British Empire for Gallantry. Any individual made a member of the order for gallantry after 14 January 1958 wears an emblem of two crossed silver oak leaves on the same ribbon as the badge, with a miniature version on the ribbon bar when worn alone. When the ribbon only is worn the emblem is worn in miniature. It could not be awarded posthumously , and was replaced in 1974 with the Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM). If recipients of
5535-454: The Dutch votes. Chris Tarrant later praised Wogan's acerbity. During the 2007 BBC show Making Your Mind Up , in which the British public voted to decide their Eurovision entry, Wogan incorrectly announced that the runner-up Cyndi was the winner. The winner was the group Scooch ; according to the BBC, Wogan was provided with the correct result during the live show. In the 2008 contest ,
Terry Wogan - Misplaced Pages Continue
5670-776: The Military Division of the order from the UK and across the Empire. Recommendations for all appointments to the Order of the British Empire were originally made on the nomination of the King's United Kingdom ministers (recommendations for overseas awards were made by the Foreign Office , the Colonial Office , the India Office and the Dominions Office ); but in the early 1940s the system was changed to enable
5805-558: The Music Week Award for National Radio Station of the Year, an award it won for several consecutive years. Weekday evenings have historically featured specialist music, including jazz , folk , blues , country , reggae , classic rock , show tunes and biographies and documentaries on musical artists and genres. Previously, this specialist programming ran from 20:00–midnight but now runs only from 21:00–22:00. Radio 2 hosts both
5940-436: The Order of the British Empire for Gallantry received promotion within the order, whether for gallantry or otherwise, they continued to wear also the insignia of the lower grade with the oak leaves; however, they used only the post-nominal letters of the higher grade. When the order was founded in 1917, badges, ribands and stars were appointed for wear by recipients. In 1929 mantles, hats and collars were added for recipients of
6075-456: The Order of the British Empire. In 2024 appointments to the order were made by the governments of: Most members of the order are citizens of the United Kingdom or Commonwealth realms that use the UK system of honours and awards. In addition, honorary awards may be made to citizens of nations where the monarch is not head of state ; these permit use of post-nominal letters, but not the title of Sir or Dame . Honorary appointees who later become
6210-404: The Order, however, are not assigned any special precedence. As a general rule, only wives and children of male recipients are afforded privileges. Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also entitled to be granted heraldic supporters . They may, furthermore, encircle their arms with a depiction of the circlet (a circle bearing the motto) and the collar; the former is shown either outside or on top of
6345-540: The Troubles . D'Arcy speculated that a public funeral would be logistically difficult, as there would be too many people wanting to pay their respects. After Wogan's death and his private funeral a few weeks later, a public memorial service was held on 27 September the same year. This was held at Westminster Abbey , was opened by a recording of Wogan himself, and featured a number of his celebrity friends making speeches, such as Chris Evans and Joanna Lumley . The service
6480-456: The UK on FM between 88.1 MHz and 90.2 MHz from studios at Broadcasting House and Maida Vale Studios in central London. Programmes are broadcast on FM radio , digital radio via DAB , digital television and BBC Sounds . According to RAJAR , the station broadcasts to a weekly audience of 13.2 million with a listening share of 13.7% as of March 2024. The network was launched at 5:30am on Saturday 30 September 1967, replacing
6615-605: The UK's entry, Andy Abraham , came last, much to Wogan's disappointment. Wogan argued that Abraham gave a better performance than the entries from Spain and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Right before the Russian entry's reprise, he said "… and possibly goodbye, Europe.” On 11 August 2008, Wogan said in an interview with the Radio Times magazine that he was doubtful about presenting the Eurovision Song Contest for
6750-501: The UK, including Birmingham and Manchester . For many years, the network's overnight presenters, such as Janice Long and Alex Lester , were based in Birmingham, but made the move to London in April 2008. Since May 2018, the weekday overnight show, now presented by OJ Borg has been broadcast from Salford. In November 2022, the BBC confirmed plans for Radio 2 and 6 Music to move out of Wogan House, and move back into studios at
6885-400: The UK, playing classic pop and rock. Despite these stations only being available on MW, they still took some of Radio 2's audience, so with the station's audience in decline, a change of emphasis was needed and in 1992, the weekday daytime music policy was slightly adjusted with pre-1950 music primarily confined to Sundays, and the network's playlist of light classical music was reduced following
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#17327901703777020-458: The United Kingdom again. On 5 December 2008, Wogan stepped down from the role after 35 years. Graham Norton succeeded Wogan as BBC commentator from the 2009 contest onwards. In November 2014, Wogan reviewed Norton's autobiography for The Irish Times . Describing his attitude towards the contest, he wrote that he saw it as a "sometimes foolish farce", while implying that the winner of the 2014 contest , Austrian drag performer Conchita Wurst ,
7155-463: The United Kingdom; those who would formerly have met the criteria for the medal were instead made eligible for the MBE. In 2004, a report entitled A Matter of Honour: Reforming Our Honours System by a Commons select committee recommended phasing out the Order of the British Empire, as its title was "now considered to be unacceptable, being thought to embody values that are no longer shared by many of
7290-450: The addition of a vertical pearl grey stripe in the centre for awards in the military division). From time to time the order was expanded: there was an increase in the maximum permitted number of recipients in 1933, and a further increase in 1937. During the Second World War, as had been the case during and after World War I, the number of military awards was greatly increased; between 1939 and 1946 there were more than 33,000 appointments to
7425-501: The breakfast show at the end of the year, with Chris Evans taking over. The Times published an ode to Terry: " Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone . Terry Wogan is abandoning his microphone", and novelist Allison Pearson commented: "Heard the one about the Irishman who reminded the British of what they could be at their best? His name was Terry Wogan." Wogan presented his final Radio 2 breakfast show on 18 December 2009. It
7560-474: The cathedral. That year, Commonwealth awards made up 40% of all OBEs and MBEs awarded (and 35% of all living recipients of the higher awards). Gradually that proportion reduced as independent states within the Commonwealth established their own systems of honours . The last Canadian recommendation for the Order of the British Empire was an MBE for gallantry gazetted in 1966, a year before the creation of
7695-404: The celebrity guests went a long way to making the show a success. Among the guests who appeared most frequently and memorably during this period were Roy Hudd , Beryl Reid , Lorraine Chase and, in particular, Kenny Everett , who snapped Wogan's stick-like microphone in half. Wogan left the show after the 1983 series, just over a year before his thrice-weekly chat show commenced. Wogan narrated
7830-418: The circlet. In 1929, to bring the order into line with the other orders of chivalry, members of the first class of the order (GBE) were provided with mantles, hats and collars. Only Knights/Dames Grand Cross wear these elaborate vestments; the hat is now rarely, if ever, worn. Use of the mantle is limited to important occasions (such as quadrennial services and coronations ). The mantle is always worn with
7965-444: The collar. Although the mantle was introduced in 1929, very few mantles would have been produced prior to the 1937 design changes, as there were few occasions for wearing them in the intervening years. On certain days designated by the sovereign, known as " collar days ", members attending formal events may wear the order's collar over their military uniform, formal day dress, evening wear or robes of office. Collars are returned upon
8100-479: The country's population". The committee further suggested changing the name of the award to the Order of British Excellence, and changing the rank of Commander to Companion (as the former was said to have a "militaristic ring"), as well as advocating for the abolition of knighthoods and damehoods; the government, however, was not of the opinion that a case for change had been made, and the aforementioned suggestions and recommendations were not, therefore, pursued. In
8235-587: The dark. The BBC later apologised for the comment. She was also "spoken to" by BBC bosses after praising Enoch Powell during a show in July 2009, describing him as "the best prime minister this country never had". On 16 October 2008, an episode of The Russell Brand Show , co-hosted by fellow Radio 2 presenter Jonathan Ross was recorded for transmission at a later date. The show included Russell Brand and Ross leaving four prank messages on actor Andrew Sachs ' answerphone, including offensive remarks about Sachs' granddaughter and use of foul language. The programme
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#17327901703778370-403: The death of their owners, but other insignia may be retained. The six office-holders of the order wear pearl-grey mantles lined with rose-pink, having on the right side a purple shield charged with the roundel from the badge. Each of these office-holders wears a unique badge of office, suspended from a gold chain worn around the neck. The British Empire Medal is made of silver. On the obverse
8505-626: The distinction between ranks in military operational gallantry awards will cease'. The reforms affected the order at various levels: for example the automatic award each year of a GBE to the Lord Mayor of London ceased; the OBE replaced the Imperial Service Order as an award for civil servants and the number of MBEs awarded each year was significantly increased. As part of these reforms the British Empire Medal stopped being awarded by
8640-820: The entertainment came from letters and emails sent in by listeners, many of whom adopted punning pseudonyms. One occasion involved Wogan reading out an email from someone using the name "Tess Tickles", without realising what the name was referring to, prompting Paul Walters' standard reply in such situations – "I only print 'em!" Through his show Wogan was also widely credited with launching the career of singer Katie Melua , after he repeatedly played her début single, " The Closest Thing to Crazy ", in late 2003. When she performed on Children in Need in 2005, Wogan joked that Melua owed her career to him. He gave credit for her discovery to Walters. Walters also put music by Eva Cassidy , an American singer who had died in relative obscurity, on Wogan's playlist; Cassidy then, posthumously, became
8775-503: The film S.O.B. , and Frank Hall . Hagman was at the height of his fame, which gave the show a high profile. Soon after Wogan was given his own chat show, Wogan , which after a trial run on a midweek evening, was recommissioned for broadcast on Saturday nights from 1982 to 1984. Between 1985 and 1992, the show aired on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7 pm. The series included interviews with George Best , Chevy Chase , Anne Bancroft , Ronnie Barker announcing his retirement on
8910-489: The first being BBC Radio 2 Eurovision , providing coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 . The station returned in 2015 for coverage of that year's contest. Others include BBC Radio 2 Country covering the C2C: Country to Country festival and BBC Radio 2 50s , a service dedicated to music programmes covering the 1950s. During 2018, Radio 2 had numerous presenter reshuffles. In May, drivetime host Simon Mayo
9045-424: The first time in 15 years, replacing the one composed by US jingle company GrooveWorx with a new seven-note melody composed by British composer and producer Jem Godfrey . This coincided with the launch of a new jingle package produced by Godfrey in association with Wisebuddah Productions , marking Radio 2's second new package in as many years. Radio 2 has run several "pop-up" DAB services to cover special events,
9180-407: The first time in its 35-year history due to poor health following a surgical procedure on his back. He did, however, make a brief appearance as part of a pre-recorded sketch. He was replaced by Dermot O'Leary . Wogan's television profile was boosted considerably when he became the first-ever host of Blankety Blank in 1979. His good-humoured interaction with the contestants and lively banter with
9315-529: The former was to be responsible for recording all proceedings connected with the order, issuing warrants under the seal of the order and making arrangements for investitures, while the latter (at that time the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury ) was responsible for collecting and tabulating the names of those who were to receive an award. The office of Dean was added in 1957. The King of Arms
9450-401: The governments of overseas dominions to make their own nominations; Canada and South Africa began doing so in 1942, followed by Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth realms. In May 1957, forty years after the foundation of the order, it was announced that St Paul's Cathedral was to serve as the church of the order, and in 1960 a chapel was dedicated for its use within the crypt of
9585-450: The highest class of the order (GBE). The designs of all these items underwent major changes in 1937. The badge is worn by all members of the order; the size, colour and design depends on the class of award. The badge for all classes is in the form of a cross patonce (having the arms growing broader and floriated toward the end) with a medallion in the centre, the obverse of which bears a crowned image of George V and Queen Mary within
9720-535: The highest listening figures of any station in the UK, its schedule filled with broadcasters such as Tony Blackburn , Sara Cox , Jeremy Vine , Mark Radcliffe , Trevor Nelson , Jo Whiley , Paul Gambaccini , Gary Davies , Zoe Ball and Bob Harris . As well as having most listeners nationally, it ranks first in many regions above local radio stations. BBC Radio 2 played to 27% of the available audience in 2006. In February 2007, Radio 2 recruited Jeff Smith, director of UK and International programming at Napster and
9855-580: The honours system, calling it "a preposterous charade". The order has attracted some criticism for its naming having connection with the idea of the now-extinct British Empire . Benjamin Zephaniah , a British poet of Jamaican and Barbadian descent, publicly rejected appointment as an Officer in 2003 because, he asserted, it reminded him of "thousands of years of brutality". He also said that "it reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised". BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2
9990-540: The hosts of the 2001 contest in Denmark, Søren Pilmark and Natasja Crone Back , as "Doctor Death and the Tooth Fairy". During the presentation of the Dutch televote in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 , Wogan called the Dutch televote presenter, Paul de Leeuw , an " eejit ", as de Leeuw started to make ad lib comments, gave his mobile phone number, and generally hogged the limelight for some time before giving
10125-446: The insignia to Buckingham Palace and by ceasing to make reference to their honour, but they still hold the honour unless and until annulled by the monarch. In 2003, The Sunday Times published a list of the people who had rejected the Order of the British Empire, including David Bowie , John Cleese , Nigella Lawson , Elgar Howarth , L. S. Lowry , George Melly , and J. G. Ballard . In addition, Ballard voiced his opposition to
10260-640: The junior post-nominal letters. The British sovereign is the sovereign of the order and appoints all other officers of the order (by convention, on the advice of the governments of the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth realms ). The second-most senior officer is the Grand Master (a 'Prince of the Blood Royal, or other exalted personage' appointed by the sovereign, who, by virtue of their appointment, becomes 'the First or Principal Knight Grand Cross of
10395-528: The latter. Knights and Dames Commander and Commanders may display the circlet, but not the collar, surrounding their arms. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar or circlet. See List of current honorary knights and dames of the Order of the British Empire Only the monarch can annul an honour. The Honours Forfeiture Committee considers cases and makes recommendations for forfeiture. An individual can renounce their honour by returning
10530-559: The launch of Classic FM in September 1992. Radio 2's profile was boosted by the return of Terry Wogan at the start of 1993, but following the generational shift at Radio 1, commercial radio , helped further by the 1993 launch of Virgin Radio , had taken the highest share of the national audience by the mid-1990s. Line was replaced by James Moir in 1996. Moir repositioned Radio 2 with a largely AOR /contemporary playlist by day, aimed at
10665-463: The left breast, by Knights and Dames Grand Cross; Knights and Dames Commander wear a smaller star composed of 'four equal points and four lesser'. The star is not worn by the more junior classes. Prior to 1937 each star had in the centre a gold medallion with a figure of Britannia, surrounded by a crimson circlet inscribed with the motto of the order ('For God and the Empire'); since 1937 the effigies of King George V and Queen Mary have been shown within
10800-493: The light entertainment department as a disc jockey and host of TV quiz and variety shows such as Jackpot , a top-rated quiz show on RTÉ in the 1960s. When the show was dropped by RTÉ TV in 1967, he approached the BBC for extra work. David Attenborough rebuffed his job application to be a BBC presenter; in 2016, after Wogan's death, he expressed the view that "to have had two Irishmen presenting on BBC2 would have looked ridiculous". Wogan began working for BBC Radio , initially 'down
10935-541: The line' from Dublin, first broadcasting on the BBC Light Programme on 27 September 1966. He presented the Tuesday edition of Late Night Extra for two years on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2 , commuting weekly from Dublin to London. After being a stand-in presenter on Jimmy Young 's mid-morning show while Young took a holiday throughout July 1969, Wogan was offered a weekday afternoon slot which began on 29 September that year, initially on BBC Radio 1 , but from early 1970,
11070-588: The medal 'for gallantry', which had come to be known as the Empire Gallantry Medal , were given permission to use the postnominal letters EGM (and at the same time to add a laurel branch emblem to the ribbon of the medal); however, in 1940, awards of the EGM ceased and all holders of the medal were instructed to exchange it for a new and more prestigious gallantry award: the George Cross . In 1941,
11205-559: The medal of the order 'for meritorious service' was renamed the British Empire Medal , and the following year its recipients were granted the right to use the postnominal letters BEM. During the war, the BEM came to be used to recognise acts of bravery which did not merit the award of a George Cross or George Medal , a use which continued until the introduction of the Queen's Gallantry Medal in 1974. The designs of insignia of
11340-449: The medal. The colour of the riband was also changed: twenty years earlier, prior to the order's establishment, Queen Mary had made it known that pink would be her preferred colour for the riband of the proposed new order, but, in the event, purple was chosen. Following her appointment as Grand Master of the order in 1936 a change was duly made and since 9 March 1937 the riband of the order has been 'rose pink edged with pearl grey’ (with
11475-446: The most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male or a dame if female. There is also the related British Empire Medal , whose recipients are affiliated with, but not members of, the order. The order was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V , who created the order to recognise 'such persons, male or female, as may have rendered or shall hereafter render important services to Our Empire'. Equal recognition
11610-473: The names of the former are written out in their fullest forms. Male clergy of the Church of England or the Church of Scotland do not use the title Sir (unless they were knighted before being ordained) as they do not receive the accolade (they are not dubbed "knight" with a sword), although they do append the post-nominal letters ; dames do not receive the accolade, and therefore female clergy are free to use
11745-649: The nearby BBC Broadcasting House in London. On 18 February 2024, "The Paul Gambaccini Collection" was the final Radio 2 show, and radio show altogether, to be broadcast from Wogan House after 18 years. Radio 2 broadcasts news bulletins from a studio in Broadcasting House. All bulletins are broadcast 24 hours a day, except Saturday nights at 11pm and some special events. The station's newsreaders also provide bulletins for 6 Music. These presenters do not have permanent slots on Radio 2 but have sat in for shows on
11880-608: The necessary TV commentary to BBC viewers. From 1977 until 1996, Wogan hosted the UK selection show each year, returning to the job in 1998, and again from 2003 until 2008. In 1973, 1975, every year from 1977 until 1984, and again in 1994, Wogan also presented the UK Eurovision Song Contest Previews on BBC1 . Wogan's often deadpan commentating style, which often involved humour at the expense of others, caused controversy: for example, when he referred to
12015-402: The network. The list does not include regularly scheduled presenters who also stand in for other shows. Those listed below, regularly appear on shows as contributors but don't present a programme themselves. Presenter Sarah Kennedy attracted controversy before she left the station in 2010. In May 1999, she gave a "bizarre" performance while standing in for Terry Wogan, blaming the incident on
12150-399: The numbers restricted to the order as full members do. Although the Order of the British Empire has by far the highest number of members of the British orders of chivalry, with more than 100,000 living members worldwide, there are fewer appointments to knighthoods than in other orders. From time to time, individuals may be promoted to a higher grade within the Order, thereby ceasing usage of
12285-620: The order alongside its own honours until the establishment of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1996. Other Commonwealth realms have continued to use the Order of the British Empire alongside their own honours. In 1993 the Prime Minister, John Major , instituted a reform of the honours system with the aim 'that exceptional service or achievement will be more widely recognised; that greater importance will be given to voluntary service; that automatic honours will end; that
12420-408: The order and medal were altered in 1937, prior to the coronation of King George VI , 'in commemoration of the reign of King George V and Queen Mary, during which the Order was founded'. The figure of Britannia at the centre of the badge of the order was replaced with an image of the crowned heads of the late King and Queen Mary, and the words 'Instituted by King George V' were added to the reverse of
12555-409: The order was celebrated with a service at St Paul's Cathedral. The order is limited to 300 Knights and Dames Grand Cross, 845 Knights and Dames Commander, and 8,960 Commanders. There are no limits applied to the total number of members of the fourth and fifth classes, but no more than 858 officers and 1,464 members may be appointed per year. Foreign appointees, as honorary members, do not contribute to
12690-426: The order, to which serving personnel would in future be appointed. The classes were the same as for the Civil Division (as it was now termed), but military awards were distinguished by the addition of a central vertical red stripe to the purple riband of the civil awards. In 1920 appointment as an MBE 'for an act of gallantry' was granted for the first time, to Sydney Frank Blanck Esq, who had rescued an injured man from
12825-426: The podcast of his show as a "Togcast". There were also running jokes involving Wogan's newsreader colleagues Alan Dedicoat (nicknamed "Deadly" after the spoonerism "Deadly Alancoat"), Fran Godfrey (nicknamed "Frank"), and John Marsh (nicknamed "Boggy"). Marsh once told Wogan on air that his wife was called Janet, and a series of " Janet and John " stories followed, read by Wogan during the breakfast show. These were
12960-485: The policy alienated many younger listeners who had listened to both Radio 1 and Radio 2, and the station's audience fell. In 1990, in the year that Line become controller, the station lost its medium wave frequencies to allow for the launch of BBC Radio 5 (later replaced by BBC Radio 5 Live ), and BBC Radio's sports coverage moved to the new station at that time. The late 1980s saw the launch of "gold" spinoffs from Independent Local Radio stations across many parts of
13095-526: The programme was Wogan's exchanges with "the Totty from Splotty" – Lynn Bowles , the Welsh traffic reporter from Splott , Cardiff – which often involved reading limericks from listeners cut short after one or two lines, as risqué innuendo in the later lines was telegraphed. Wake Up to Wogan attracted an estimated audience of eight million in 2005. That figure was surpassed in 2008, as Wogan's show held off
13230-621: The reason for his absence from the long-running annual show. One of his friends, Father Brian D'Arcy , visited him during January and noticed he was seriously ill. Wogan died of cancer on 31 January 2016 at his home, at the age of 77. British Prime Minister David Cameron said that "Britain has lost a huge talent", and Michael D. Higgins , the President of Ireland , praised Wogan's career and his frequent visits to his homeland. Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Tánaiste Joan Burton remembered Wogan for his role in helping Anglo-Irish relations during
13365-603: The same Order'). The position of Grand Master has been held by the following people: In addition to the sovereign and the grand master , the order has six further officers: At its foundation the order was served by three officers: the King of Arms, the Registrar & Secretary and the Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod. In 1922 the Prelate was added, and the office of Registrar was separated from that of Secretary:
13500-428: The show until his final broadcast on Remembrance Sunday 2015, due to his declining health with cancer. It then continued with guest hosts until the end of that month, after which, regular cover show Madeley on Sunday presented by Richard Madeley filled the slot temporarily. Michael Ball then permanently took over the slot in April 2016. In 1971, and from 1974 until 1977, Wogan provided the BBC's radio commentary for
13635-641: The show, and David Icke claiming to be the " Son of God ", to whom Wogan stated: "They're not laughing with you, they're laughing at you." The BBC stopped an interview in 1989 with Simon Hayward, a former captain in the Life Guards , hours before he was due to appear on the Wogan show. Hayward insisted that he was innocent of drug smuggling offences. The decision was taken by the Controller of BBC1, Jonathan Powell , after protests from several MPs. The BBC
13770-512: The song twice before as his favourite record on Desert Island Discs , and said he wanted to be buried with it. Wogan married Helen Joyce (1936–2024) on 24 April 1965 in her parish church, Our Lady of Refuge, Rathmines , and they remained married until his death in 2016. They lived in Taplow , Buckinghamshire, with another home in Gascony , south-west France. They had four children (one of whom,
13905-461: The standard of the George Medal (even though, as appointments to an order of chivalry, they were listed before it on the Order of Wear . In contrast to awards for meritorious service, which usually appear without a citation, there were often citations for gallantry awards, some detailed and graphic. From 14 January 1958, these awards were designated Commander, Officer or Member of the Order of
14040-554: The station in April 1986. An ageing Radio 1 audience which had grown up with the station was sticking with it into their 40s and beyond; Line repositioned Radio 2 to appeal exclusively to the over-50s, introduced older presenters and based the playlist around nostalgia, easy listening and light music . As a result, David Hamilton quit the station at the end of 1986, claiming the music policy had become "geriatric"; Terry Wogan's replacement, Derek Jameson , also appealed to an older demographic. Although popular with its target audience,
14175-539: The station's Kitchen Disco presenter Sophie Ellis-Bextor appearing, but it was cancelled due to the death and state funeral of Elizabeth II . The following year, it was announced that Radio 2 in the Park would place in Leicester 's Victoria Park , headlined by Kylie Minogue , and featuring Bananarama , Rick Astley , Sam Ryder , James Blunt and Tears for Fears . Also in 2022, Steve Wright announced that he
14310-463: The station. Jeremy Vine 's weekday lunchtime show covers current and consumer affairs in an informal manner, a style pioneered by Jimmy Young. Until the launch of Radio 5 in August 1990, Radio 2's medium wave frequencies carried the majority of BBC Radio's sports coverage. Like all domestic BBC radio stations, Radio 2 is funded by the television licence fee and does not carry advertising. The Greenwich Time Signal (also known as "the pips"), which
14445-449: The threat of going to hell. Despite this, he often expressed his fondness for the city of his birth, commenting on one occasion that "Limerick never left me, whatever it is, my identity is Limerick." At the age of 15, after his father was promoted to general manager, Wogan moved to Dublin with his family. While living there he attended Crescent College's sister school, Belvedere College . He participated in amateur dramatics and discovered
14580-506: The title Dame . Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal GBE; Knights Commander, KBE; Dames Commander, DBE; Commanders, CBE; Officers, OBE; and Members, MBE. The post-nominal for the British Empire Medal is BEM. Members of all classes of the order are assigned positions in the order of precedence . Wives of male members of all classes also feature on the order of precedence, as do sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander; relatives of Ladies of
14715-589: The titles Sir for men and Dame for women before their forenames, except with honorary awards. King George V founded the order to fill gaps in the British honours system : In particular, George V wished to create an order to honour the many thousands of individuals from across the Empire who had served in a variety of non-combat roles during the First World War . From its foundation the order consisted of five classes (GBE, KBE/DBE, CBE, OBE and MBE) and
14850-483: The winner was announced live on Radio 2 during a one-off special edition of Family Favourites by host Michael Aspel on 30 September 2007. He praised his fellow nominees, the Beatles , Diana, Princess of Wales , and Nelson Mandela during his acceptance speech, which was broadcast live on BBC Radio 2 , and he chose Nat King Cole 's recording of " Stardust " as his iconic song of the last 40 years. Wogan had chosen
14985-464: Was a "freakshow". After his death, his presentation of the contest was criticised for its mocking tone. Wogan's first foray into TV interviewing, and indeed to British television, was in 1972 on Lunchtime with Wogan on ITV . Later, What's On, Wogan? ran for one series in 1980 on BBC1, primarily on early Saturday evenings. In 1981 he had a chance to host a one-off chat show, Saturday Live . Among his guests on this show were Larry Hagman , promoting
15120-455: Was accused of censorship, and a Conservative MP, John Gorst , described the decision to ban Hayward from Wogan as "outrageous". Wogan was released from his talk show contract in 1992, after pressure from the BBC. He said that the BBC also wanted his scheduling slot for the ill-fated soap Eldorado . After Eldorado took over the 7 pm slot, Wogan briefly hosted a new weekly chat strand Terry Wogan's Friday Night in 1993, but this series
15255-443: Was also simultaneously broadcast on BBC Radio 2 . In April 1972 he took over the breakfast show on BBC Radio 2 , swapping places with John Dunn , who moved to the afternoon show. Wogan achieved record estimated audiences of up to 7.9 million. His seemingly ubiquitous presence across the media meant that he frequently became the butt of jokes by comedians of the time, among them The Goodies and The Barron Knights . He released
15390-493: Was announced that Wogan would return to Radio 2, beginning on 14 February 2010, to host a live weekly two-hour Sunday show on the network, featuring live musical performance and guests, between 11.00 am and 1.00 pm. The show, titled Weekend Wogan , was hosted in front of a live audience in the Radio Theatre at Broadcasting House until the fourth series, where he returned to the studio. Wogan continued to host
15525-577: Was believed to be the most listened-to radio broadcaster in Europe. Wogan was a leading media personality in Ireland and Britain from the late 1960s, and was often referred to as a " national treasure ". In addition to his weekday radio show, he was known for his work on television, including the BBC1 chat show Wogan , presenting Children in Need , the game show Blankety Blank and Come Dancing . He
15660-505: Was broadcast live on BBC Radio 2 . Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry , rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service . It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions,
15795-463: Was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 from 6 June 1974 to 21 September 1975. In January 1993 he returned to Radio 2, replacing Brian Hayes to present the breakfast show, which took the new name Wake Up to Wogan ; it began with a preview show in the mid-morning of Boxing Day 1992. Wogan's tendency to go off on rambling, esoteric tangents, often including banter with his then producer Paul Walters , became popular with both younger and older listeners. Much of
15930-407: Was common to both stations, particularly on the shared FM frequency. Radio 1 was targeted at the audience of pirate radio stations whereas Radio 2 settled down as a middle of the road station playing laid-back pop and rock, folk and country, jazz and big-band music, easy listening , light classical music, and oldies, with significant amounts of comedy and sport. Notable broadcasters on Radio 2 in
16065-402: Was first announced at the end of December 2006, and is available to recipients of all levels of the order, as well as to holders of the British Empire Medal . The pin design is not unique to any level. The pin features the badge of the order, enclosed in a circle of ribbon of its colours of pink and grey. Lapel pins must be purchased separately by a member of the order. The creation of such a pin
16200-413: Was first broadcast as a telethon called Children in Need , with Wogan presenting alongside Sue Lawley and Esther Rantzen . He campaigned extensively for the charity, and often involved himself via auctions on his radio show, or more directly by taking part in well-publicised sponsored activities. He was reported to be the only celebrity paid for his participation in Children in Need, having received
16335-416: Was forced off the air on 16 February 2007, when steam from a nearby gym set off fire alarms. For 15 minutes an emergency tape played continuous music. On returning, Wogan read out several light-hearted comments from listeners, saying that they thought he had died with his sudden disappearance and the playing of such sentimental music. On 7 September 2009, Wogan confirmed to his listeners that he would be leaving
16470-587: Was joined by evening DJ Jo Whiley in a new format. The move proved unpopular with listeners, and by October 2018, Mayo announced his intention to leave the station, later adding that this was so he could help launch the new classical music radio station Scala Radio in March 2019, and would continue his Radio 5 Live film review programme . Mayo and Whiley's last show together was broadcast on 20 December 2018, while Whiley moved back to her evening slot, with Mayo's final show on Radio 2 broadcast on 21 December. Sara Cox
16605-717: Was later announced as the new drivetime host, starting on 14 January 2019. In September 2018, Chris Evans announced that he was leaving The Radio 2 Breakfast Show to join Virgin Radio . He was replaced by former Radio 1 Breakfast DJ Zoe Ball on 14 January 2019. In 2022, the station announced that their annual music festival Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park would not be returning to London's Hyde Park in 2022, but would take place over two days at Temple Newsam Park in Leeds , with acts such as Kaiser Chiefs , Simple Minds and
16740-469: Was made a substantive member and subsequently styled as Sir Terry Wogan). Although initially intended to recognise meritorious service, the order began to also be awarded for gallantry. There were an increased number of cases in the Second World War for service personnel and civilians including the merchant navy, police, emergency services and civil defence, mostly MBEs but with a small number of OBEs and CBEs. Such awards were for gallantry that did not reach
16875-469: Was not recommissioned. Wogan presented Wogan Now and Then (2006), a show in which he interviewed guests from his former chat show, as well as new guests. BBC Two launched a new compilation series, Wogan: the Best Of in 2015, featuring selected interview segments and music performances from Wogan's past chat series, linked by new introductions from Wogan. In 1980, the BBC's charity appeal for children
17010-586: Was officially knighted on 11 October 2005, allowing him to be called "Sir Terry". On 29 May 2007, he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire . On 15 June 2007, Wogan's home city of Limerick honoured him with the Freedom of the City at a ceremony in Limerick's Civic Hall. Because of his long absence from the city and unflattering remarks about the city in a 1980 interview, the local press carried out
17145-513: Was open to both women and men; provision was also made for conferring honorary awards on foreign recipients. At the same time, alongside the order, the Medal of the Order of the British Empire was instituted, to serve as a lower award granting recipients affiliation but not membership. The first investiture took place at Ibrox Stadium , as part of a royal visit to the Glasgow shipyards, with the appointment of Alexander Ure, 1st Baron Strathclyde as
17280-585: Was recommended in Sir Hayden Phillips ' review of the honours system in 2004. The Chapel of the Order of the British Empire is in St Paul's Cathedral . It occupies the far eastern end of the cathedral crypt and was dedicated in 1960. The only heraldic banners normally on display in the chapel are those of the Sovereign of the Order of the British Empire and of the Grand Master of the Order of
17415-492: Was reinstated on 1 April 1978. On 23 November 1978, the station moved from longwave to medium wave . On 27 January 1979, Radio 2 became the first national 24-hour radio station in the UK. The first half of the 1980s had seen presenters such as Kenny Everett , David Hamilton and Steve Jones increasingly feature more contemporary pop music in their playlists. In response to the controversy these changes had caused in some circles, Frances Line , head of music, repositioned
17550-420: Was subsequently broadcast on 18 October – partially censored – having passed the various pre-transmission checks from the programme's editors. Initially, the programme only received a small number of complaints regarding Ross' bad language; however, the incident was reported a week later by The Mail on Sunday and a public outcry soon ensued. The case was referred to both Ofcom and
17685-461: Was the BBC's commentator for the Eurovision Song Contest from 1971 to 2008 (radio: 1971, 1974–1977; television: 1973, 1978, 1980–2008) and the Contest's co-host in 1998 . From 2010 to 2015 he presented Weekend Wogan , a two-hour Sunday morning show on Radio 2. In 2005, Wogan acquired British citizenship in addition to his Irish nationality and was awarded a knighthood in the same year and
17820-594: Was the subject of This Is Your Life , when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at Broadcasting House. Wogan was inducted into the Radio Academy Hall of Fame at a gala dinner held in his honour on 10 December 2009. Wogan was announced as the Ultimate Icon of Radio 2, commemorating the station's 40th birthday. The shortlist of sixteen candidates had been published on the BBC Radio 2 website, and
17955-491: Was therefore entitled to use the title "Sir". He died on 31 January 2016, aged 77. Wogan was born on 3 August 1938 at Cleary's Nursing Home, Elm Park, Limerick , Ireland, the elder of two children. He was the son of the manager of Leverett & Frye , a high-class grocery store in Limerick, and was educated at Crescent College , a Jesuit school, from the age of eight. He experienced a strongly religious upbringing, later commenting that he had been brainwashed into believing by
18090-526: Was to be given for services rendered in the UK and overseas. Today the majority of recipients are UK citizens, though a number of Commonwealth realms outside the UK continue to make appointments to the order. Honorary awards may be made to citizens of other nations of which the order's sovereign is not the head of state. The five classes of appointment to the Order are, from highest grade to lowest grade: The senior two ranks of Knight or Dame Grand Cross and Knight or Dame Commander entitle their members to use
18225-564: Was to be stepping down from hosting his afternoon show after 23 years. Scott Mills was to replace him, although Wright was to continue hosting his long running Sunday Love Songs show and would also host some special programmes for the station. In late 2023 he was announced as the new host of Pick of the Pops on Saturday afternoons. On 7 February 2024, the BBC announced plans to launch a new Radio 2 spin-off station on DAB and online via BBC Sounds . The Radio 2 spin-off will focus on music from
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