Bill Buckley (radio presenter)
Bill Buckley (William Buckley, Born January 8, 1959 in Birmingham, United Kingdom) is a presenter on London talk radio station LBC 97.3.
Career
Bill’s big broadcasting break came in 1972. While working as a newspaper reporter in his native West midlands, he was chosen from thousands of hopefuls to present the celebrated consumer programme, That’s Life, on BBC1 with Esther Rantzen. His mother had entered him for the job without his knowing.
After three years, he left to become a reporter for the BBC’s Holiday Programme, and spent the next six years travelling the world. Other TV appearances include Call My Bluff, Blankety Blank, All Star Secrets, Songs of Praise, Children in Need, and a huge variety of regional work in the south for Meridian Television on subjects as diverse as consumer affairs, politics , amateur film-making and serving as president of "Friends Of Dorothy"
From 1989, he has also presented daily radio shows for numerous commercial and BBC stations in the South, London and Manchester.
Bill’s acting experience includes playing Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat at Leatherhead (shortly after which, the theatre closed down). He also toured in the black comedy Widow’s Weeds, and starred in numerous pantomimes. Last Christmas, for example, he played 'king Hell in Jack and the Beanstalk at the Theatre Royal, Brighton with 60s icon Twiggy and Peak Practice’s Simon Shepherd. Staff redundancies were announced at the theatre early in the new year.
Bill was senior announcer for Channel 5 Television from its launch until two years ago. His irreverent style proved influential throughout the industry. He is particularly well remembered by many for his wonderfully camp commentary over the closing credits of the channel's late-night/early-morning run of Prisoner: Cell Block H.
Bill has also written a hit song. He provided both the words and music for Su Pollard’s number two hit single, Starting Together. Back to the present and, on top of his radio commitments, Bill regularly reviews the national Press on “Breakfast” on BBC2 and on BBC News 24.
In an age of media mediocrity, Bill Buckley remains as one of Britain's most amiable and original broadcasters.a truly awful man.
LBC Radio Show
Bill’s voice should be particularly familiar to LBC 97.3’s listeners because he has filled in for many of the station’s presenters for several years now. He also has his own show every Saturday, Sunday and Monday morning from 1.00 until 5.00am. (Although throughout 2006, he has also filled in for the weekday overnight presenter(s) on many occasions.)
Bill's presenting style is genial and relaxed. Unlike many other presenters, who prefer to keep the majority of their personal lives separate from their shows, Bill often shares what has been happening in his personal life (or at very least selected highlights of it), and typically opens his show with a lengthy monologue update of what he has been up to. One particular saga that listeners followed with him, was his meeting of an American man identified as "Harry" or "H McC", and Bill's whirlwind romance with him (Bill is openly gay), including a much anticipated trip to the States to visit him, and H McC eventually calling the relationship off.
Bill is notable for enjoying 'singalongs' with listeners who call in, having a broad knowledge of contemporary and classical music. Indeed, the show is introduced by Level 42's hit single, 'Something About You'. Bill's show often delves nostalgically into the recent past - for example, reminding listeners of confectionery and beverages of old; indeed, cooking is a common and well-liked theme of his show. He is well-known for his pernickety use of correct grammar and will often jump onto any mistake a caller makes. Regular features of his programme include 'caption contests': competitions to come up with the best headline for an interesting newspaper story. There are also joke competitions, including 'Knock, Knock', 'Doctor, Doctor', 'A man walks into a pub...' and 'What do you call a...'; and finally poetry competitions, including limericks, clerihews and haikus.
Come Dine With Me
Last September, Bill was seen for a whole week on Channel 4, competing in the reality cookery and entertaining show, Come Dine With Me. Bill had originally applied for the second series of Gordon Ramsay's 'Hell's Kitchen', but his details were passed onto the production team behind Come Dine With Me - and Bill found himself the surprise celebrity participant in this programme. Bill was characteristically amiable and mild-mannered on Come Dine With Me, in contrast to some rather irascible fellow contestants. Most of all, though, it was his fine cookery which led him to victory - something he has acknowledged with typical modesty. He has previously cooked on the Carlton Food Network and live on Channel 5 on Open House with Gloria Hunniford. He has been cookery editor of a magazine and last year was elected to the prestigious Guild of Food Writers. Bill is a near-professional chef, and says that the one thing he would salvage in a fire would be his treasured 'recipe scrapbook'.
Pantomime
Nicknamed 'Ten Pantos' by LBC fans, Bill has appeared in a number of shows. Panto has allowed him to shine both as an actor and vocalist. Bill's love of performing in panto is clear from a diary entry during his stint in Cinderella at the Hawth in Crawley, in December 2004:
"Time flies when you're being frozen by fairy magic, yanking false legs from scheming ugly sisters and waltzing at royal balls in a powdered wig."