Sir Terry Wogan
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Sir Michael Terence Wogan (; 3 August 1938 – 31 January 2016) was an Irish radio and television broadcaster who worked for the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
in Britain for most of his career. Between 1993 and his semi-retirement in 2009, his
BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...
weekday breakfast programme '' Wake Up to Wogan'' regularly drew an estimated eight million listeners. He 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 A national treasure is a structure, artifact, object or cultural work that is officially or popularly recognized as having particular value to the nation, or representing the ideals of the nation. The term has also been applied to individuals or ...
". In addition to his weekday radio show, he was known for his work on television, including the
BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and Flagship (broadcasting), flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includ ...
chat show ''
Wogan ''Wogan'' is a British television talk show which was broadcast on BBC1 from 1982 to 1992 and presented by Terry Wogan. It was usually broadcast live from the BBC Television Theatre in Shepherd's Bush, London, until 1991. It was then broadcast ...
'', presenting ''
Children in Need ''BBC Children in Need'' is the BBC's UK Charitable organization, charity dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children and young people across the country. Established in 1980, the organisation has raised over £1 billion by 2023 through its ...
'', the game show ''
Blankety Blank ''Blankety Blank'' is a British comedy game show which first aired in 1979. The show is based on the American game show ''Match Game'', with contestants trying to match answers given by celebrity panellists to fill-in-the-blank questions. The ...
'' and ''
Come Dancing ''Come Dancing'' is a British ballroom dancing competition show made by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), which aired on BBC One at various intervals from 1950 to 1998. Unlike its subsequent follow-up show, ''Strictly Come Dancing'', ...
''. He was the BBC's commentator for the
Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...
from 1971 to 2008 (radio: 1971, 1974–1977; television: 1973, 1978, 1980–2008) and the Contest's co-host in . He also presented the BBC's blooper show, ''
Auntie's Bloomers ''Auntie's Bloomers'' is a blooper show hosted by Terry Wogan that ran from 29 December 1991 to 29 December 2001 and aired on BBC One. Most bloopers consisted of homegrown BBC programmes including soaps, sitcoms, dramas and news. The programme ...
'', between 1991 and 2001. In recognition of his television career, in 2006, the British public ranked him number 21 in
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: Television TV stations/networks/channels ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network and company, including: **ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network in the United Kingd ...
's poll of
TV's 50 Greatest Stars TV's 50 Greatest Stars was a one-off British television awards show which invited the viewing public to vote for their favourite on-screen stars from a list compiled by the broadcaster ITV. Fifty actors, actresses, presenters and comedians, both ...
. In 2005, Wogan acquired
British citizenship The primary law governing nationality in the United Kingdom is the British Nationality Act 1981, which came into force on 1 January 1983. Regulations apply to the British Islands, which include the UK itself (England, Wales, Scotland, and Nor ...
in addition to his
Irish nationality The primary law governing nationality of Ireland is the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1956, which came into force on 17 July 1956. Ireland is a member state of the European Union (EU), and all Irish nationals are EU citizens. They a ...
and was awarded a
knighthood A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...
in the same year and was therefore entitled to use the title "Sir". He presented ''
Weekend Wogan ''Weekend Wogan'' was the incarnation of the Sunday morning show on BBC Radio 2 from 14 February 2010 to 8 November 2015. The show was presented by Sir Terry Wogan, which marked his return to the airwaves following his departure as presenter of ...
'', a two-hour Sunday morning show on Radio 2, from 2010 until his final show on Remembrance Sunday 2015 when his health was beginning to decline. He died on 31 January 2016, aged 77.


Early life

Wogan was born on 3 August 1938 at Cleary's Nursing Home, Elm Park,
Limerick Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...
, Ireland, the elder of two children.Oxford National Biography He was the son of the manager of
Leverett & Frye Leverett & Frye was a chain of high-class grocery stores which was founded in 1870 in Greenwich, England, as Leverett, Frye, and Scholding. The chain expanded throughout Great Britain and Ireland, having over fifty branches at its peak. Frederick ...
, a high-class grocery store in Limerick, and was educated at
Crescent College Crescent College Comprehensive SJ, formerly known as the College of the Sacred Heart, is a Catholic secondary school located on of parkland at Dooradoyle, Limerick, Ireland. The college is one of a number of Jesuit schools in Ireland. The ...
, a
Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
school, from the age of eight. He experienced a strongly religious upbringing, later commenting that he had been brainwashed into believing by 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 Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
with his family. While living there he attended Crescent College's sister school,
Belvedere College Belvedere College Society of Jesus, S.J. (sometimes St Francis Xavier's College) is a fee-paying voluntary secondary school for boys in Dublin, Ireland. Formally established in 1832 at Hardwicke Street in north inner city Dublin, the school was ...
. He participated in amateur dramatics and discovered a love of
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
. After leaving Belvedere in 1956, Wogan had a brief career in the banking profession, joining the
Royal Bank of Ireland Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c. is one of the so-called Big Four commercial banks in the Republic of Ireland. AIB offers a full range of personal, business and corporate banking services. The bank also offers a range of general insurance products su ...
. 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.


Radio work


Early career

Wogan conducted interviews and presented documentary features during his first two years at Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ), before moving to 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 Sir David Frederick Attenborough (; born 8 May 1926) is an English broadcaster, biologist, natural historian and writer. He is best known for writing and presenting, in conjunction with the BBC Studios Natural History Unit, the nine nature d ...
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 BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927. The service provides national radio stations cove ...
, initially 'down the line' from Dublin, first broadcasting on the
BBC Light Programme The BBC Light Programme was a national radio station which broadcast chiefly mainstream light entertainment and light music from 1945 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2. It opened on 29 July 1945, taking over the ...
on 27 September 1966. He presented the Tuesday edition of ''Late Night Extra'' for two years on
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...
and
BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...
, 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 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...
, but from early 1970, was also simultaneously broadcast on
BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...
. 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 first chat show, ''Wogan's World'', was broadcast on
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
from 6 June 1974 to 21 September 1975. 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 The Goodies were a trio of British comedians: Tim Brooke-Taylor (17 July 1940 – 12 April 2020), Graeme Garden (b. 18 February 1943) and Bill Oddie (b. 7 July 1941). The trio created, wrote for and performed in their The Goodies (TV series), ...
and
The Barron Knights The Barron Knights are a British humorous pop rock group, originally formed in 1959 in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire,Colin Larkin, ''Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music'', (Muze UK Ltd, 1997), ), p. 32 as the Knights of the Round Table. C ...
. He released a parody vocal version of the song "
The Floral Dance "The Floral Dance" is a Cornish song describing the annual Furry Dance in Helston, Cornwall, UK. The music and lyrics were written in 1911 by Kate Emily Barkley ("Katie") Moss (1881–1947) who was a professional violinist, pianist and concert ...
" in 1978, by popular request from listeners who enjoyed hearing him sing over the instrumental hit by the
Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band The Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band is a British brass band formed in 1881. The band is based in Brighouse, in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, England. The band is known across the world, and is regarded by many as the best and most consistent " ...
. 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 Kenneth Robertson Bruce (born 2 February 1951) is a Scottish radio and television presenter. He hosted a weekday mid-morning show on BBC Radio 2 between 1986 and 1990, then again from 1992 to 2023. Since April 2023, he has presented the same s ...
.


Return to radio

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 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 Ketevan Katie Melua (; ka, ქეთევან "ქეთი" მელუა, ; born 16 September 1984) is a British singer and songwriter. She was born in Kutaisi, Georgia and raised in Belfast and London. Under the management of composer ...
, after he repeatedly played her début single, "
The Closest Thing to Crazy "The Closest Thing to Crazy" is the debut single of Georgia-born singer Katie Melua. The song is featured on her first studio album, '' Call Off the Search'' (2003). The song was written as part of the musical ''Men Who March Away'', and appeared ...
", in late 2003. When she performed on ''
Children in Need ''BBC Children in Need'' is the BBC's UK Charitable organization, charity dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children and young people across the country. Established in 1980, the organisation has raised over £1 billion by 2023 through its ...
'' 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 Eva Marie Cassidy (February 2, 1963 – November 2, 1996) was an American singer and musician known for her interpretations of jazz, Folk music, folk, and blues music, sung with a powerful, emotive soprano voice. In 1992, she released her f ...
, an American singer who had died in relative obscurity, on Wogan's playlist; Cassidy then, posthumously, became 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 the podcast of his show as a "Togcast". There were also running jokes involving Wogan's newsreader colleagues
Alan Dedicoat Alan Dedicoat is a British announcer from Hollywood, England, for programmes on BBC One. He is known as the "Voice of the Balls" on the National Lottery programmes, providing a voiceover for the draws since 1995. He was a BBC Radio 2 newsread ...
(nicknamed "Deadly" after the spoonerism "Deadly Alancoat"),
Fran Godfrey Frances Helen Godfrey is a radio presenter and former BBC Radio 2 newsreader, most famous for her appearances on '' Wake Up to Wogan'', a long-running breakfast show in the United Kingdom.''Mustn't Grumble'', by Sir Terry Wogan (2006) () Godfrey b ...
(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 ''Janet and John'' is a series of early reading books for children, originally published in the UK by James Nisbet and Co in four volumes in 1949–50, and one of the first to make use of the "look and say" approach. Further volumes appeared l ...
" stories followed, read by Wogan during the breakfast show. These were a pastiche of children's learn-to-read stories, with humorous sexual
double entendre A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, one of which is typically obvious, and the other often conveys a message that would be too socially unacc ...
s, 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 ''BBC Children in Need'' is the BBC's UK Charitable organization, charity dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children and young people across the country. Established in 1980, the organisation has raised over £1 billion by 2023 through its ...
, raising over £4 million. A long-running campaign by Wogan criticising the British government for levying
VAT A value-added tax (VAT or goods and services tax (GST), general consumption tax (GCT)) is a consumption tax that is levied on the value added at each stage of a product's production and distribution. VAT is similar to, and is often compared wi ...
on the CDs eventually led to a government rebate of £200,000. Another feature of the programme was Wogan's exchanges with "the Totty from Splotty" –
Lynn Bowles Lynn Bowles (born 1963) is a Welsh broadcaster and a former traffic weekday mornings reporter for BBC Radio 2. Early life Bowles was born in Splott, Cardiff, Wales in 1963, and is the youngest of three siblings. Her father, Cliff, was a marine e ...
, the Welsh traffic reporter from
Splott Splott () is a district and community in the south of the city of Cardiff, capital of Wales, just east of the city centre. It was built up in the late 19th century on the land of two farms of the same name: Upper Splott and Lower Splott Farms. S ...
,
Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...
– which often involved reading
limericks A limerick ( ) is a form of verse that appeared in England in the early years of the 18th century. In combination with a refrain, it forms a limerick song, a traditional humorous drinking song often with obscene verses. It is written in five-lin ...
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 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! Hello is a salutation or greeting in the English language. It is first attested in writing from 1826. Early uses ''Hello'', with that spelling, was used in publications in the U.S. as early as the 18 October 1826 edition of the '' Norwich Cou ...
'' 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 line A picket line is a horizontal rope A rope is a group of yarns, Plying, plies, fibres, or strands that are plying, twisted or braided together into a larger and stronger form. Ropes have high tensile strength and can be used for dragging and ...
s to present his show. Wogan 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 the breakfast show at the end of the year, with Chris Evans taking over. ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' published an ode to Terry: " Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone. Terry Wogan is abandoning his microphone", and novelist
Allison Pearson Judith Allison Pearson (née Lobbett; born 22 July 1960) is a British columnist and author. Pearson has worked for British newspapers such as the ''Daily Mail'', ''The Independent'', the ''Evening Standard'', ''The Daily Telegraph'', and the '' ...
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 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 ''Weekend Wogan'' was the incarnation of the Sunday morning show on BBC Radio 2 from 14 February 2010 to 8 November 2015. The show was presented by Sir Terry Wogan, which marked his return to the airwaves following his departure as presenter of ...
'', was hosted in front of a live audience in the Radio Theatre at
Broadcasting House London Broadcasting House is the headquarters of the BBC, in Portland Place and Langham Place, London. The first radio broadcast from the building was made on 15 March 1932, and the building was officially opened two months later, on 15 May. T ...
until the fourth series, where he returned to the studio. Wogan continued to host 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 Richard Holt Madeley ( born 13 May 1956) is an English television presenter and writer. Alongside his wife Judy Finnigan, he presented ITV's '' This Morning'' (1988–2001) and the Channel 4 chat show ''Richard & Judy'' (2001–2008). Madeley ...
filled the slot temporarily.
Michael Ball Michael Ashley Ball (born 27 June 1962) is an English singer, presenter and actor. In 1985, he made his West End debut as Marius Pontmercy in the original production of ''Les Misérables''. In 1989, he reached number two in the UK Singles C ...
then permanently took over the slot in April 2016.


Television work


Eurovision Song Contest

In 1971, and from 1974 until 1977, Wogan provided the BBC's radio commentary for the
Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...
. He became known for his television commentary, which he handled first in 1973, again in 1978, and then every year from 1980 until 2008. He co-hosted the 1998 contest with
Ulrika Jonsson Eva Ulrika Jonsson (born 16 August 1967) is a Swedish-British television presenter and model. She became known as a TV-am weather presenter, and moved on to present the ITV show '' Gladiators'', and later featured as a team captain on the BBC T ...
, in
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...
's
National Indoor Arena Utilita Arena Birmingham (previously known as Arena Birmingham, The Barclaycard Arena, originally as the National Indoor Arena and still commonly called The NIA) is an indoor arena and sporting venue in central Birmingham, England. It is owne ...
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 commentary to BBC viewers. From 1977 until 1996, Wogan hosted the UK selection show each year, returning to the role 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 The ''Eurovision Song Contest Previews'' are annually broadcast television shows showcasing the entries into the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest. They were inaugurated for the , and have been provided by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to ...
'' on
BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and Flagship (broadcasting), flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includ ...
. Wogan's often "deadpan" commentating style, which often involved humour at the expense of others, caused controversy; for example, when he referred to the hosts of the 2001 contest in Denmark,
Søren Pilmark Søren Louis Pilmark (born 16 October 1955) is a Danish actor. Pilmark has worked as a film and theatrical actor, a director, and as an author. Søren Pilmark er sammen med hans kone Susanne ambassadør foSOS Børnebyerne Career Theater ...
and
Natasja Crone Back Natasja Crone Back (born 12 June 1970) is a Danish journalist and TV show presenter. She is well known from several big shows on Danish television. Early life and career Crone was raised in Holte north of Copenhagen and is of Danish and Bela ...
, as "Doctor Death and the Tooth Fairy". During the presentation of the Dutch points in the
Eurovision Song Contest 2006 The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the 51st edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Athens, Greece, following the country's victory at the with the song "My Number One" by Helena Paparizou. Organised by the European Broadcas ...
, Wogan called the Dutch televote presenter,
Paul de Leeuw Paul Henri de Leeuw (born 26 March 1962) is a Dutch television comedian, singer and actor. De Leeuw gained national fame in the late eighties and early nineties with television shows for broadcasting company VARA. He often came into publicity ...
, 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 the Dutch votes.
Chris Tarrant Christopher John Tarrant (born 10 October 1946) is a retired English broadcaster, television personality, radio DJ and stand up comedian. He is best known for presenting the ITV children's television show '' Tiswas'' from 1974 to 1981, and th ...
later praised Wogan's acerbity. During the 2007 BBC show ''
Making Your Mind Up "Making Your Mind Up" is a song by the British pop group Bucks Fizz with music composed by John Danter and lyrics written by Andy Hill. Released in March 1981, it was Bucks Fizz's debut single, the group having been formed just two months earl ...
'', 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 Scooch is a British pop group, comprising performers Natalie Powers, Caroline Barnes, David Ducasse and Russ Spencer. Scooch represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 in Helsinki with their song "Flying the Flag (For Y ...
; according to the BBC, Wogan was provided with the correct result during the live show. In the 2008 contest, the UK's entry,
Andy Abraham Andrew Abraham (born 17 July 1964) is a British singer. He was the runner-up in the The X Factor (British series 2), second UK series of TV talent show ''The X Factor (British TV series), The X Factor'' in 2005 to Shayne Ward, and also represent ...
, finished in last place, much to Wogan's disappointment. Wogan argued that Abraham gave a better performance than the entries from Spain and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Right before the Russian winning entry's reprise, he said "… and possibly goodbye, Europe." On 11 August 2008, Wogan said in an interview with the ''
Radio Times ''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...
'' magazine that he was doubtful about commentating the Eurovision Song Contest for the UK again. On 5 December 2008, Wogan stepped down from the role after 35 years.
Graham Norton Graham William Walker (born 4 April 1963), known professionally as Graham Norton, is an Irish comedian, broadcaster, actor, and writer. He is a five-time BAFTA TV Award winner for the comedy chat show ''The Graham Norton Show'' (2007–present) ...
succeeded Wogan as the UK commentator from the 2009 contest onwards. In November 2014, Wogan reviewed Norton's autobiography for ''
The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It was launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is Ireland's leading n ...
''. 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 Thomas Neuwirth (born 6 November 1988) is an Austrian singer, fashion designer, human rights activist and drag queen who is known for his stage persona Conchita Wurst (or simply Conchita). He came to international attention after winning the Euro ...
, was a "freakshow". Following his death, his commentary of the contest was criticised for its mocking tone.


Chat shows

Wogan's first foray into TV interviewing, and indeed to British television, was in 1972 on '' Lunchtime with Wogan'' on
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: Television TV stations/networks/channels ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network and company, including: **ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network in the United Kingd ...
. 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 Larry Martin Hagman (September 21, 1931 – November 23, 2012) was an American actor, best known for playing ruthless oil baron J. R. Ewing in the 1978–1991 primetime television soap opera ''Dallas'', and the handsome astronaut Major Anthon ...
, promoting 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 ''Wogan'' is a British television talk show which was broadcast on BBC1 from 1982 to 1992 and presented by Terry Wogan. It was usually broadcast live from the BBC Television Theatre in Shepherd's Bush, London, until 1991. It was then broadcast ...
'', 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 George Best (22 May 1946 – 25 November 2005) was a Northern Irish professional association football, footballer who played as a winger (association football), winger, spending most of his club career at Manchester United F.C., Manchester Un ...
,
Chevy Chase Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He became the breakout cast member in the first season of ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1976), where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment b ...
,
Anne Bancroft Anne Bancroft (born Anna Maria Louisa Italiano; September 17, 1931 – June 6, 2005) was an American actress. Respected for her acting prowess and versatility, Bancroft received an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, tw ...
,
Ronnie Barker Ronald William George Barker (25 September 1929 – 3 October 2005) was an English actor, comedian and writer. He was known for roles in British comedy television series such as ''Porridge (1974 TV series), Porridge'', ''The Two Ronnies'', ...
announcing his retirement on the show, and
David Icke David Vaughan Icke ( ; born 29 April 1952) is an English conspiracy theorist, author and a former Association football, footballer and sports broadcaster. He has written over 20 books, self-published since the mid-1990s, and spoken in more tha ...
claiming to be the "
Son of God Historically, many rulers have assumed titles such as the son of God, the son of a god or the son of heaven. The term "Son of God" is used in the Hebrew Bible as another way to refer to humans who have a special relationship with God. In Exo ...
", 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 Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
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 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 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 BBC Two is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matte ...
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.


Children in Need

In 1980, the BBC's charity appeal for children was first broadcast as a
telethon A telethon (a portmanteau of "television" and "marathon") is a televised fundraising event that lasts many hours or days, the purpose of which is to raise money for a charitable, political or other cause. Most telethons feature heavy solicitatio ...
called ''
Children in Need ''BBC Children in Need'' is the BBC's UK Charitable organization, charity dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children and young people across the country. Established in 1980, the organisation has raised over £1 billion by 2023 through its ...
'', with Wogan presenting alongside
Sue Lawley Susan Lawley (born 14 July 1946) is an English retired television and radio broadcaster. Her main broadcasting background involved television news and current affairs. From 1988 to 2006, Lawley was the presenter of ''Desert Island Discs'' on BBC ...
and
Esther Rantzen Dame Esther Louise Rantzen (born 22 June 1940) is an English journalist and television presenter who presented the BBC television series ''That's Life!'' for 21 years, from 1973 until 1994. She works with various charitable causes and founded t ...
. 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 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 Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...
'. In 2008, Wogan and singer
Aled Jones Aled Jones, (born 29 December 1970) is a Welsh singer, radio and television presenter, and actor. As a teenage chorister, he gained widespread fame in 1985 with his recording of " Walking in the Air", which reached No 5 in the UK pop chart. He ...
released 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 "Silver Bells" is a Christmas song composed by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. It debuted in the motion picture '' The Lemon Drop Kid'' (1951), where it was started by William Frawley,"The Lemon Drop Kid" in The American Film Institute Catalog of ...
" 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 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 Seán Dermot O'Leary (born 24 May 1973) is a British-Irish broadcaster. He presented the television talent show ''The X Factor'' on ITV from 2007 until its final series in 2018, with the exception of 2015. Since 2021, O'Leary has presented ITV' ...
.


Other television work

Wogan's television profile was boosted considerably when he became the first-ever host of ''
Blankety Blank ''Blankety Blank'' is a British comedy game show which first aired in 1979. The show is based on the American game show ''Match Game'', with contestants trying to match answers given by celebrity panellists to fill-in-the-blank questions. The ...
'' in 1979. His good-humoured interaction with the contestants and lively banter with the celebrity guests went a long way to making the show a success. Among the guests who appeared most frequently during this period were
Roy Hudd Roy Hudd (16 May 1936 – 15 March 2020) was an English comedian, actor, presenter, radio host, author and authority on the history of music hall entertainment. Early life Hudd was born in Croydon on 16 May 1936 to Evalina "Evie" (née Barham ...
,
Beryl Reid Beryl Elizabeth Reid (17 June 1919 – 13 October 1996) was a British actress. She won the 1967 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for '' The Killing of Sister George'', the 1980 Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance for '' Born in th ...
,
Lorraine Chase Lorraine Chase (born 16 July 1951) is an English actress and former model. She became well known for her strong south east London accent and frequent use of cockney slang, and found fame through a series of television adverts for Campari bef ...
and
Kenny Everett Kenny Everett (born Maurice James Christopher Cole; 25 December 1944 – 4 April 1995) was an English radio Disc Jockey, DJ and television entertainer, known for his zany comedic style. After spells on pirate radio and Radio Luxembourg in the m ...
. Wogan left the show after the 1983 series, just over a year before his thrice-weekly chat show commenced. Wogan narrated the BBC television series '' Stoppit and Tidyup'', which was broadcast in 1987. Wogan appeared on ''
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'' is a British chat show presented by Jonathan Ross and broadcast on BBC One between 2001 and 2010. The programme featured Ross' take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews (usually three per show ...
'' four times, between 2004 and 2009. In an appearance on the BBC programme ''
Top Gear Top Gear may refer to: * "Top gear", the highest gear available in a vehicle's manual transmission Television * ''Top Gear'' (1977 TV series), a British motoring magazine programme * ''Top Gear'' (2002 TV series), a relaunched version of the ori ...
'', Wogan became the second-slowest guest to go around the test track as the " Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car", a
Suzuki Liana A liana is a long- stemmed woody vine that is rooted in the soil at ground level and uses trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy in search of direct sunlight. The word ''liana'' does not refer to a ta ...
. Only
Richard Whiteley John Richard Whiteley (28 December 1943 – 26 June 2005) was an English presenter and journalist, best known for his twenty-three years as host of the game show '' Countdown''. ''Countdown'' was the launch programme for Channel 4 at 4:45 ...
was slower. In 2010, Wogan made 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 ''Never Mind the Buzzcocks'' is a British comedy panel game show with a pop music theme. It has aired on Sky Max since September 2021, having originally aired between November 1996 and January 2015 on BBC Two. The original series was first host ...
''. The following year, Wogan hosted ''Wogan on Wodehouse'' for
BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matte ...
. In 2011 he appeared as a panellist on ''
Would I Lie To You ''Would I Lie to You?'' (abbreviated as ''WILTY'') is a British comedy panel show aired on BBC One, made by Zeppotron for the BBC. It was first broadcast on 16 June 2007, starring David Mitchell and Lee Mack as team captains. The show was ...
''. On 21 September 2013, Wogan appeared as a panellist on ITV game show ''
Through the Keyhole ''Through the Keyhole'' is a British comedy panel game show created by the TV producer Kevin Sim and originally presented by David Frost, Sir David Frost in the studio and Loyd Grossman on location. The location presenter explores celebrities' h ...
''. In November 2013, he participated in a celebrity edition of the
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
game show ''
Pointless ''Pointless'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British television quiz show produced by Banijay Entertainment subsidiary Remarkable Entertainment for the BBC and hosted by Alexander Armstrong. In each episode, four teams of two contestan ...
'', with celebrities including
Bobby Ball Robert Harper (28 January 1944 – 28 October 2020), known professionally as Bobby Ball, was a British comic, actor, singer and television host. He was best known as a member of the comic double act Cannon and Ball, with Tommy Cannon (Thomas ...
and
Esther Rantzen Dame Esther Louise Rantzen (born 22 June 1940) is an English journalist and television presenter who presented the BBC television series ''That's Life!'' for 21 years, from 1973 until 1994. She works with various charitable causes and founded t ...
, in aid of
Children in Need ''BBC Children in Need'' is the BBC's UK Charitable organization, charity dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children and young people across the country. Established in 1980, the organisation has raised over £1 billion by 2023 through its ...
. On 31 March 2014, Wogan was a guest reporter on ''
Bang Goes the Theory ''Bang Goes the Theory'' or ''Bang'' is a British television science magazine series, co-produced by the BBC and the Open University, that began on 27 July 2009 and ended on 5 May 2014 on BBC One. Originally presented by Liz Bonnin, Jem Stansfiel ...
'', on which he discussed old-age dementia. From 12 to 16 May 2014, Wogan appeared on the
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
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 ''The One Show'' is a British television magazine and chat show programme. Broadcast live on BBC One weekdays at 7:00 pm, it features topical stories and studio guests. It is currently co-hosted by Alex Jones, Roman Kemp, Ronan Keating ...
'' with
Alex Jones Alexander Emerick Jones (born February 11, 1974) is an American Far-right politics, far-right radio host, radio show host and prominent conspiracy theorist. He hosts ''The Alex Jones Show'' from Austin, Texas. ''The Alex Jones Show'' is the lo ...
. He also presented a series called ''Terry and Mason's Great Food Trip'' with the cab driver Mason McQueen in 2015, in which the duo travelled across Britain eating regional food.


Honours and awards

Wogan was appointed an Honorary Officer of the
Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(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 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 Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...
. On 15 June 2007, Wogan's home city of
Limerick Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...
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 a
vox pop ( ) is a Latin phrase (originally ''Vox populi, vox Dei'' – "The voice of the people is the voice of God") that literally means "voice of the people." It is used in English in the meaning "the opinion of the majority of the people." In journa ...
, which resulted in support for the award. He was made an Honorary Freeman of the
City of London The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...
in 2009, and invited to raise the bascules of
Tower Bridge Tower Bridge is a Listed building#Grade I, Grade I listed combined Bascule bridge, bascule, Suspension bridge, suspension, and, until 1960, Cantilever bridge, cantilever bridge in London, built between 1886 and 1894, designed by Horace Jones ...
. In 2004, he received an Honorary
D.Litt. Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or '), also termed Doctor of Literature in some countries, is a terminal degree in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. In the United States, at universities such as Drew University, the degree ...
degree from the
University of Limerick University of Limerick (UL) () is a Public university, public research university institution in Limerick, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Founded in 1972, as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick, it became a university in Septemb ...
, as well as a special lifetime achievement award from his native city. He received an Honorary
LL.D. A Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) is a doctoral degree in legal studies. The abbreviation LL.D. stands for ''Legum Doctor'', with the double “L” in the abbreviation referring to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both canon law ...
degree from
Leicester University The University of Leicester ( ) is a public research university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park. The university's predecessor, University College, Leicester, gained university ...
in 2010. In 1978, Wogan was the subject of '' This Is Your Life'', when he was surprised by
Eamonn Andrews Eamonn Andrews, (19 December 1922 – 5 November 1987) was an Irish radio and television presenter, employed primarily in the United Kingdom from the 1950s to the 1980s. From 1960 to 1964 he chaired the Radio Éireann Authority (now the RTÉ ...
at Broadcasting House. Wogan was inducted into the
Radio Academy The Radio Academy is a registered charity dedicated to "the encouragement, recognition and promotion of excellence in UK broadcasting and audio production". It was formed in 1983 and is run via a board of trustees, with a chair and a deputy chai ...
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 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...
website, and the winner was announced live on Radio 2 during a one-off special edition of ''
Family Favourites ''Family Favourites'' (remembered by its later name ''Two-Way Family Favourites'') was the successor to the wartime radio show ''Forces Favourites'', broadcast at Sunday lunchtimes on the BBC Light Programme, later BBC Radio 2 from 1945 unti ...
'' by host
Michael Aspel Michael Terence Aspel (born 12 January 1933) is an English retired television presenter and newsreader. He hosted programmes such as '' Crackerjack!'', '' Ask Aspel'', ''Aspel & Company'', '' Give Us a Clue'', '' This Is Your Life'', '' Strange ...
on 30 September 2007. He praised his fellow nominees,
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
,
Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997), was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William, ...
, and
Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( , ; born Rolihlahla Mandela; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa f ...
during his acceptance speech, which was broadcast live on
BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...
, and he chose
Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, alternatively billed as Nat "King" Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's career as a jazz and Traditional pop, pop ...
's recording of "
Stardust Stardust may refer to: * A type of cosmic dust, composed of particles in space Entertainment Songs * “Stardust” (1927 song), by Hoagy Carmichael * “Stardust” (David Essex song), 1974 * “Stardust” (Lena Meyer-Landrut song), 2012 * ...
" as his iconic song of the last 40 years. Wogan had chosen the song twice before as his favourite record on ''
Desert Island Discs ''Desert Island Discs'' is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942. Each week a guest, called a " castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight audio recordin ...
'', and said he wanted to be buried with it.


Personal life

Wogan married Helen Joyce (1936–2024) on 24 April 1965 in her parish church, Our Lady of Refuge,
Rathmines Rathmines (; ) is an inner suburb on the Southside (Dublin), Southside of Dublin in Ireland. It begins at the southern side of the Grand Canal of Ireland, Grand Canal and stretches along the Rathmines Road as far as Rathgar to the south, Ranela ...
, and they remained married until his death in 2016. They lived in
Taplow Taplow is a village and civil parish in the Unitary Authority of Buckinghamshire, England. It sits on the left bank of the River Thames, facing Maidenhead in the neighbouring county of Berkshire, with Cippenham and Burnham to the east. It is th ...
, Buckinghamshire, with another home in
Gascony Gascony (; ) was a province of the southwestern Kingdom of France that succeeded the Duchy of Gascony (602–1453). From the 17th century until the French Revolution (1789–1799), it was part of the combined Province of Guyenne and Gascon ...
, south-west France. They had four children (one of whom, 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 Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013), was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of th ...
after being invited by her family. Wogan was brought up and educated as a
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
, but became an
atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
at the age of 17.Larissa Nolan, "I Have Never Believed in God: Wogan", ''The Sunday Independent'' (Ireland), 8 May 2005. In an interview with
Gay Byrne Gabriel Mary Byrne (5 August 1934 – 4 November 2019) was an Irish presenter and host of radio and television. His most notable role was as the first host of '' The Late Late Show'' over a 37-year period spanning 1962 until 1999. ''The Late La ...
on
RTÉ (; ; RTÉThe É in RTÉ is pronounced as an English E () and not an Irish É ()) is an Irish public service broadcaster. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, ...
, he said that he respected those who had "the gift of faith".


Death

Wogan's last broadcast was on 8 November 2015 on his BBC radio show ''Weekend Wogan''. By then he had been diagnosed with the advanced stages of
prostate cancer Prostate cancer is the neoplasm, uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system below the bladder. Abnormal growth of the prostate tissue is usually detected through Screening (medicine), screening tests, ...
and he died on 31 January 2016 at his home in
Taplow Taplow is a village and civil parish in the Unitary Authority of Buckinghamshire, England. It sits on the left bank of the River Thames, facing Maidenhead in the neighbouring county of Berkshire, with Cippenham and Burnham to the east. It is th ...
. His funeral was private but a memorial service was held at
Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...
on 27 September 2016. British Prime Minister
David Cameron David William Donald Cameron, Baron Cameron of Chipping Norton (born 9 October 1966) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016. Until 2015, he led the first coalition government in the UK s ...
said that "Britain has lost a huge talent", and
Michael D. Higgins Michael Daniel Higgins (; born 18 April 1941) is an Irish politician, poet, broadcaster, and sociologist who has been serving as the president of Ireland since 2011. Entering national politics through the Labour Party, he served as a senator ...
, the
President of Ireland The president of Ireland () is the head of state of Republic of Ireland, Ireland and the supreme commander of the Defence Forces (Ireland), Irish Defence Forces. The presidency is a predominantly figurehead, ceremonial institution, serving as ...
, praised Wogan's career and his frequent visits to his homeland.
Taoiseach The Taoiseach (, ) is the head of government or prime minister of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the President of Ireland upon nomination by Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...
Enda Kenny Enda Kenny (born 24 April 1951) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as Taoiseach from 2011 to 2017, Leader of Fine Gael from 2002 to 2017, Minister for Defence (Ireland), Minister for Defence from May to July 2014 and 2016 to 201 ...
and
Tánaiste The Tánaiste ( , ) is the second-ranking member of the government of Ireland and the holder of its second-most senior office. It is the equivalent of the deputy prime minister in other parliamentary systems. The Tánaiste is appointed by the P ...
Joan Burton Joan Burton (born 1 February 1949) is an Irish former Labour Party politician who served as Tánaiste and Leader of the Labour Party from 2014 to 2016, Minister for Social Protection from 2011 to 2016, Deputy leader of the Labour Party fro ...
remembered Wogan for his role in helping Anglo-Irish relations during
the Troubles The Troubles () were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted for about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it began in the late 1960s and is usually deemed t ...
. The BBC renamed BBC Western House, home of Radio 2, in his memory, to BBC
Wogan House Wogan House is a building in central London owned by Aberdeen Group and currently on long-term lease to the BBC. It is located on the junction of Gildea Street and Great Portland Street adjacent to the BBC's headquarters, Broadcasting House. ...
.


Filmography


Television


Radio


Bibliography


Biography

* ''Is It Me?'' (
BBC Books BBC Books (also formerly known as BBC Consumer Publishing and BBC Publishing) is an imprint majority-owned and managed by Penguin Random House through its Ebury Publishing division. The minority shareholder is BBC Studios, the commercial subsidia ...
, 2000) * ''Mustn't Grumble'' (
Orion Orion may refer to: Common meanings * Orion (constellation), named after the mythical hunter * Orion (mythology), a hunter in Greek mythology Arts and media Fictional entities Characters and species * Orion (character), a DC Comics c ...
, 2006)


Fiction

* ''Those Were the Days'' (
Pan Macmillan Pan Books is a British publishing imprint that first became active in the 1940s and is now part of the British-based Macmillan Publishers, owned by the Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group of Germany. History Pan Books began as an indepe ...
, 2015)


General non-fiction

* ''Fight the Flab: Keep Fit With Terry Wogan'' (BBC Books, 1971) * ''Banjaxed'' (1979) * ''The Day Job'' (1981) * ''Wogan on Wogan'' (
Penguin Penguins are a group of aquatic flightless birds from the family Spheniscidae () of the order Sphenisciformes (). They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere. Only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is equatorial, with a sm ...
, 1987) * ''Terry Wogan's Bumper Book of TOGs'' ( Andrews UK, 2011) * ''Where Was I?!: The World According to Wogan'' (Orion, 2009) * ''Wogan's Twelve'' (Orion, 2007) * ''Something for the Weekend: The Collected Columns of Sir Terry Wogan'' (Orion, 2013) * ''The Little Book of Common Sense: Or Pause for Thought with Wogan'' (Orion, 2014)


Travel

* ''Irish Days'' (Penguin, 1991) * ''Wogan's Ireland: A Tour Around the Country that Made the Man'' (
Simon and Schuster Simon & Schuster LLC (, ) is an American publishing house owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts since 2023. It was founded in New York City in 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. Along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group US ...
, 2012)


See also

*
List of Eurovision Song Contest presenters The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual international song competition, held every year by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) since 1956. This page is a list of people who have acted as presenters of the contest. Since 1988, it has been the n ...


References


External links


Profile
togs.org. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
''Daily Telegraph'' article
Retrieved 17 May 2014.
IFGB golf tournament
Retrieved 17 May 2014.
Profile
''The Oldie Magazine'' website. Retrieved 17 May 2014. * . Retrieved 17 May 2014. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wogan, Terry 1938 births 2016 deaths 21st-century British male writers 21st-century British novelists 21st-century Irish novelists BBC Radio 1 presenters BBC Radio 2 presenters BBC television presenters British atheists British game show hosts British male novelists British non-fiction writers British people of Irish descent British radio personalities British radio presenters British travel writers Deaths from cancer in England Deputy lieutenants of Buckinghamshire Irish atheists Irish emigrants to the United Kingdom Irish game show hosts Irish knights Irish male novelists Irish non-fiction writers Irish male non-fiction writers Irish radio presenters Irish television presenters 20th-century Irish travel writers Former Roman Catholics Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom People educated at Belvedere College People educated at Crescent College Broadcasters from Limerick (city) Beauty pageant hosts RTÉ Radio 1 presenters RTÉ television presenters British radio show creators British television show creators Irish radio show creators Irish television show creators