More about Bill Buckley
I've been a broadcaster since 1982 when I got my first big break: presenting That's Life on BBC1 with Esther Rantzen. Until then, I'd been a print journalist in the West Midlands. I didn't mind swapping the industrial tribunals and magistrates' courts of Sandwell for the broken washing machines and phallic parsnips of Shepherds Bush one little bit.
I stayed with the show for three years, during which time, I was also in at the birth of breakfast television: I was a regional presenter, reporter and topic songwriter-and-performer for BBC Breakfast Time (the one with Frank and Selina on the sofa). Writing a witty (allegedly!) three-minute song overnight then singing it to a sleepy nation at 6.45 and 8.45am was an experience.
I spent six years travelling the world as a reporter for the Beeb's Holiday Programme ("Yes, it IS hard work," "No, it's NOT like being on holiday," "Yes, I loved it, thanks.")
During this period, I finally started doing what I'd meant to do since I was a little boy: regular radio presenting. My first station was BBC Radio Solent based in Southampton where I presented and produced the lunchtime show. Spells with South Coast Radio, Newstalk 1152 (LBC during one of its confused, 'what's the name of the station this week and who's running it?', now, thankfully, long gone), BBC Radio Berkshire, the Lite AM in Manchester and, most recently, nine years at BBC Southern Counties, before ending up here.
Other telly over the years included all kinds of regional programmes for Meridian during my years on the south coast - everything from consumer affairs via politics to amateur filmmaking - plus appearances on everything from Blankety Blank (Les Dawson referred to me as 'ballast' - a career highlight) to Songs of Praise (on which I sang David Essex's hit, A Winter's Tale, with a huge orchestra and choir) and from Children in Need to Call My Bluff (a 'chattee' is someone having a conversation where the other party - the 'chatter' - is doing most of the talking/ Isn't it funny the things you remember?)
Last Spring, I won the London week of C4's cookery and party-giving competition, Come Dine with Me. I discuss the following morning's newspapers on BBC News 24 late at night about three times a month, and occasionally do the same on BBC Breakfast on BBC1 on Saturday mornings.