This Is Your Life: Vinnie Jones

Vinnie JONES (1965-)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Vinnie Jones, actor and former footballer, was surprised by Michael Aspel while launching his new sports video, Vinnie's Revenge, at a central London cinema.

Vinnie began his professional football career with Wimbledon FC, where he played over 200 games during two spells between 1986 and 1998, winning the FA Cup in 1988. He also spent time with Leeds United, Sheffield United, Chelsea and Queens Park Rangers, as well as playing and captaining the Welsh national team with 9 caps between 1994 and 1997.

After retiring from football in 1998, he capitalised on his 'hard man' image by becoming a film actor in tough guy roles. He made his debut in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels in 1998 and followed that success with Snatch in 2000.

"You lunatic! There's a few people who've got a few things to answer to!"

programme details...

Edition No: 1056
Subject No: 1031
Broadcast date: Thu 30 Nov 2000
Broadcast time: 8.00-8.30pm
Recorded: Fri 24 Nov 2000
Repeated: Sun 17 Jun 2001 7.00pm
Venue: Teddington Studios
Series: 41
Edition: 3
Code name: Hod

on the guest list...

Annie - grandmother
Ann - sister
Jenny - stepmum
Peter - father
Glenda - mother
David - stepfather
Kaley - daughter
Aaron - son
Tanya - wife
Steve Collins
Roddy Collins
Joe Allon
Howard Wilkinson
Bradley Walsh
Stanley Reed
John Fashanu
Derek Heasman
Russell Hensard
Seamus Byrne
Cal Jenkins
Johnny Moore
Dave Bassett
Derek French
Wally Downes
Joe Kinnear
John Hartson
Darren Griffiths
Kelly Brook
Jason Statham
John Ward
Guy Ritchie
Matthew Vaughn
Jools Holland
Frankie Dettori
Dennis Wise
Ronnie Wood
Paul Gascoigne
Robert Duvall
Luciana Pedraza

production team...

Researcher: Jo Grant
Writer: Ian Brown
Director: Chris Fox
Associate Producer: Helen Gordon-Smith
Executive Producer: John Longley
Series Producer: Jack Crawshaw
Producer: Sue Green

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

Match of the Day

tackling football's top names

Frankie Dettori

Screenshots of Vinnie Jones This Is Your Life

Vinnie Jones recalls his experience of This Is Your Life in his autobiography, Vinnie, My Life...

It was a pity we couldn't be at Guy and Madonna's wedding in Scotland, especially as he'd done me the honour of asking me to be his best man. But it was impossible because we were still deeply involved in the filming of Swordfish. I was, however, home for something that had been set up completely without my knowledge. I was in no way prepared for the moment Michael Aspel walked up to me and said 'Vinnie Jones, this is your life.' I'd always dreamed that one day it might be me, but because of some of the controversies I'd been involved in, I never thought I'd get a sniff. So although I was puzzled as to why Neil had seemed so preoccupied and why Tanya was phoning Peter Burrell five times a day, the penny hadn't dropped.

When Michael Aspel walked in, I felt very strange. I kind of looked right through him and my eyes swam. I glanced down at the Red Book and it was the size of a Range Rover. Then the reality began to kick in. The first thought that entered my mind was how it would please Tanz, my nan and granddad, Mum, Dad, my sister, the kids and Tanya's family. It was a sensational night. So many old friends and acquaintances, even my old headmaster; so many memories and emotions, not least those stirred by Darren, a young lad who lost his sight in a road accident. We've kept in touch for years, ever since I bought him a trained guide dog.

This Is Your Life makes you feel many things. Chuffed, proud, extremely happy and sometimes a little sad. But, with Tanya sitting beside me, my overall feeling was a sense of real satisfaction. I've always said I've worked bloody hard for what I've achieved, and, when so many people take so much trouble to pay tribute to you, I think you are entitled to believe that your efforts have been well and truly justified.

Vinnie Jones recalls a similar experience of This Is Your Life in his autobiography, It's been emotional, my story...

Being honoured by This Is Your Life by the BBC is one of the greatest moments of my career. It all came about as a complete surprise towards the end of 2000.

Peter Burrell, my manager at the time, had put together a great deal with an energy drink called Red Devil. I had a share in the company and the idea was to build it up with some big advertising campaigns and then sell it on. We had filmed one commercial, which got banned from TV until after the watershed, so there was huge hype about what we were doing. We were going up against Red Bull, but we knew we could kick up a stir and start some momentum.

So Pete phoned me up one day with the news: we had sold the company to Schweppes and the masterplan had worked. A big party was arranged at Cafe de Paris in Soho to celebrate the handover, so I had to be back in the UK for the press and publicity around it.

I turned up and was doing my bit when Michael Aspel wandered in, came up to me and said the famous words: 'Vinnie Jones, this is your life.'

It just didn't register with me at first. I looked around and thought, Well, there's no one else here and I'm pretty sure he said Vinnie Jones.

It's weird. You can't take it in at first. Then you focus on this big red book and it starts to sink in. I had some friends and family there and the emotions very nearly got the better of me. In all honesty, that was the first time I realised I was a household name in Britain. I realised the football community in the country had a good idea who I was, but suddenly it felt as if everyone from five-year-olds through to ninety-year-olds knew who I was. It was an unusual feeling, but I felt like part of the furniture in the UK.

Filming the show was a great night. It really was something special for me. They whisked me off to the studio and all my suits were already there, lined up by Tans, waiting for me to choose one. I came onto the set to massive applause and it felt like ten times the size of a wedding.

I've got the book on display at home in LA. I've got pictures on the wall in my house with Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, John Travolta - but the first thing everybody goes for is that book. It is a great keepsake with all the pictures from that night, about sixty or seventy, of the audience and people walking on. Robert Duvall was on via video link, as were Dennis Wise, John Fashanu, Joe Kinnear, Dave Bassett, Gazza and Frankie Dettori. Guy Ritchie, Jay Statham and Matthew Vaughn came on together and told some nice stories.

It was a really special night.

Series 41 subjects