A brief bio...

Michael Terence Wogan was born on 3 August, 1938 in Limerick, Ireland. After securing a good education from the Jesuits at Crescent College, Terry actually decided to enter the financial world and went to work in a bank.

After five years, being a bank clerk somehow lost its charm and Terry felt the time was right to try something different. The budding broadcaster eventually managed to secure a position at Radio Telefis Eireann (the Irish National Radio and TV Service) as a newsreader/announcer. After two years, Terry moved to light entertainment as a DJ and host of TV quiz and variety shows. It had begun!

It was in the 1970s that Wogan came to the UK and became the all-conquering king of the airwaves, when he started broadcasting for BBC radio. After stints standing in for Jimmy Young, he took over the morning slot on Radio 2 and started pulling in audiences of up to 7.6 million.

In 1981, Wogan got the chance to host a one-off chat show called 'Saturday Live' which eventually led to the Irish charmer fronting his own regular talk show called - surprisingly - 'Wogan'. The series ran for ten years and, by the end, was on the box three times a week.


Terry on TV - key shows

Blankety Blank
Superbly chaotic quiz show with a panel of celebrities helping contestants to fill in the blanks. The best the winners could hope for in the way of a star prize was something like a set of matching luggage, but Terry's whimsical humour kept the whole thing afloat.

Eurovision Song Contest
Wogan is probably held in most affection as the voice of reason behind the commentaries for Eurovision. His sardonic wit makes the long evening of shocking songs and technical hitches an event not to be missed.

Children in Need
Wogan was one actually one of the founders of the annual telethon and has hosted the event for the past twenty years, helping to raise over £400 million. What a decent fellow!


More Terry Trivia...

Wogan was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Limerick in 2004.

A keen golfer, Terry was a fixture on the pro-celebrity golf circuit for many years and actually holds the record for the longest ever televised golf putt - 33 yards on the 18th green at Gleneagles.

Terry released a version of 'The Floral Dance' in 1978, by popular request from Radio 2 listeners who enjoyed hearing him singing over the instrumental hit by The Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band.

Because a lot of his Radio 2 fans are often middle-aged or 'old before their time', Wogan jokingly refers to them as TOGs (Terry's Old Geezers and Gals). Terry himself is, of course, 'The Togmeister'.

Check out the TOGs website