Big Red Book

Celebrating television's This Is Your Life

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THIS IS YOUR LIFE – The Reverend Brian Hession, clergyman, filmmaker and campaigner, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the King's Theatre, Hammersmith, having been led to believe he was there to record a radio programme.

Brian devoted his life to the Church from the age of 16, and after studying at Cambridge University, he took up the position of Curate at Lee, near Blackheath, London, in 1933. Having later developed the idea of using films to spread his religious work, he established the Dawn Trust, an organisation which produced religious films. In 1936, he became Vicar of Holy Trinity Church in Aylesbury, where he continued his work with the Trust.

In 1949, he resigned from his post in Aylesbury to devote more time to filmmaking. While on a trip to the USA in 1954 to promote his films, Brian was diagnosed with stomach cancer and given four days to live. However, a surgeon willing to operate was found. Following successful surgery, Brian wrote about his survival and faith in his book Determined to Live and began campaigning for a greater understanding of cancer.

programme details...

• Edition No: 24
• Subject No: 24
• Broadcast live: Mon 7 Jan 1957
• Broadcast time: 7.15-7.45pm
• Venue: King's Theatre, Hammersmith
• Series: 2
• Edition: 9

on the guest list...

• Catrin - wife
• Jim Carey-Wood
• John Barnes
• Harry Woodward
• Rev Francis Roberts
• Florence Carpenter
• Dr Rolant-Thomas - mother-in-law
• Dr John Howard Payne

related appearance...

• Stories behind This Is Your Life - Jun 1957

production team...

• Researchers: Peter Moore, Nigel Ward
• Writer: Gale Pedrick
• Director: unknown
• Producer: T Leslie Jackson

Life's Vocation

celebrating the 'men of God'

Stories behind This Is Your Life

a review of the second series

This Is Your Life by Eamonn Andrews

Weekend Magazine reports from behind-the-scenes

Brian Hession recalls his experience of This Is Your Life in the end of series review programme, Stories behind This Is Your Life, broadcast in June 1957

Eamonn Andrews with Brian Hession on This Is Your Life

Thomas Dixon recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in his book, Weeping Brittania, Portrait of a Nation in Tears...

One of Andrew's victims in the second series of This Is Your Life was the Reverend Brian Hession, who was furious to have been tricked into participating, believing that he was being invited to give a radio talk raising public awareness of cancer. Hession sent round a public letter denouncing the BBC for their subterfuge. He was later offered a platform on the 'Flashback' programme at the end of the series, to get across the messages he had hoped to include in his radio broadcast. He told Eamonn Andrews that people needed to realise that cancer was not infectious in any way, and that it could be cured, or endured, by a combination of medical skill, human endeavour, and faith in God. Hession's initial anger was applauded in the press. One article wrote that he had been right to hit back against this 'deplorable' programme, while admitting that 'many of those who suddenly find themselves confronted by their past enjoy it a good deal, and that such tears as are shed are usually tears of sentiment.'

News Chronicle 16 January 1957

TV parson: I was tricked

HUNDREDS of television viewers yesterday got a circular from the Rev. Brian Hession, 47-year-old ex-cancer victim, complaining that he was "tricked" into appearing in the BBC's This Is Your Life programme and "deceived on a most serious issue."

Said the letter: "I was tricked. I went there imagining that I was going to do a radio recording."

Mr Hession said a BBC producer calling himself Noel Waters (in reality Mr Nigel Ward, a member of the This Is Your Life team) offered him a radio broadcast because in 1954 he was given only four days to live and since then has tried to secure the creation of a United British Cancer Society.

"Mr Waters" took a tape recording and called in a cancer surgeon to vet it. Mr Hession thought he was on his way to the studio to discuss it when he found himself thrust before Eamonn Andrews on the stage of This Is Your Life.

The BBC said last night: "We do not think it was in bad taste," but they admitted there was no producer on the staff named Noel Waters.

Southern Daily Echo 18 January 1957

TRICKED

THE last victim of the BBC's deplorable This Is Your Life programme has been the first to hit back. We congratulate the Rev. Brian Hession on sending a circular to televiewers explaining how he was tricked into appearing on the show.

Of course, every victim of the programme is tricked into it, otherwise there would be little point in putting it on. It must also be admitted that many of those who suddenly find themselves confronted by their past enjoy it a good deal, and that such tears as are shed are usually tears of sentiment.

It is a sad comment on this kind of entertainment that its organisers have to deceive somebody – either the audience, by pretending the victim's reactions are spontaneous, or the victim, by getting him to the studio under false pretences!

The Daily Telegraph 18 January 1957

TRICKED BY BBC, SAYS PARSON

'DRAGGED' ON TV

DAILY TELEGRAPH REPORTER

The Rev Brian Hession, 46, who was featured in the BBC television programme This Is Your Life on Jan 7, has written to viewers complaining at the way he was "tricked" into appearing in it.

He went to a meeting with BBC officials under the impression that he was to do a radio broadcast on cancer. Instead, he suddenly found himself in front of TV cameras in the programme which brings the principal face to face with people in his life.

Mr Hession, who lives at Canford Cliffs, Bournemouth, is author of the book "Determined to Live," in which he tells how he survived an operation for cancer after being given a few hours to live. His protest was contained in a circular answering people who saw the programme and wrote to him.

The letter says: "To those who wondered why I looked surprised or annoyed at meeting Eamonn Andrews in a lighted doorway in a dingy corridor on television I would say that I had been tricked, deceived and dragged there, imagining that I was going to do a radio broadcast recording."

HARD WORK ON SCRIPT

"I and some cancer doctors had been working hard on it to decide how to say just the right thing to trigger off the new way of thought in Britain."

"I have been assured by the producers, who have apologised for the fake, that I would no doubt be allowed to unfold the serious side of my mission on radio or television in the form of a constructive talk or a series of television programmes."

At his home last night Mr Hession said he received a letter from a "Mr Noel Waters" suggesting he should do a 20 to 30-minute programme on the problem of cancer and how it affected Britain. "Mr Waters" came to his home and made a tape recording of their discussion.

On the afternoon for which the programme was arranged he went over the script in a London hotel with a cancer surgeon. He then went to Broadcasting House for further discussions and while there was told that the talk should be continued at another studio.

He was then taken by car to the King's Theatre, Hammersmith, led straight inside and found himself facing television cameras. After the show, "Mr Waters" said he was Nigel Ward of This Is Your Life team and apologised.

"ALL PART OF RUSE"

A BBC spokesman said last night that the "script" Mr Hession checked in the hotel was only a transcript of the discussion recorded at his home. The surgeon who checked it with him was in on the secret.

There were no plans for a radio programme for Mr Hession. "It was all part of the ruse. This programme did more good for his cause than any talk would have done."

Mr Hession is director of the Dawn Trust, an organisation devoted to making religious films. In 1949 he resigned his living as Vicar of Holy Trinity Church, Aylesbury, Bucks, to devote more time to film making.