Big Red Book
Celebrating television's This Is Your Life
Desmond WILCOX (1931-2000)
THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Desmond Wilcox, journalist and filmmaker, was surprised by Michael Aspel while filming on the London Eye.
Desmond, who was born in Welwyn Garden City, began a career in journalism as a reporter with the Edgware Local in 1948. After his national service, he joined the Daily Mirror as their youngest-ever foreign correspondent, working out of their New York bureau. In 1960, he moved into television as a reporter with ITV's This Week current affairs programme. Five years later, he joined the BBC as co-editor and presenter of the landmark series Man Alive.
He was head of general features at the BBC between 1972 and 1980, when he quit the corporation to become a freelance documentary maker. As one of the UK's most innovative documentary makers, his groundbreaking films, under the generic title of The Visit, told moving stories of human lives in extraordinary circumstances and won several international awards.
"Well, you are joking? Michael! I don't believe it! I've gone all funny - I may fall into the river!"
programme details...
- Edition No: 1051
- Subject No: 1026
- Broadcast date: Mon 15 May 2000
- Broadcast time: 8.30-9.00pm
- Recorded: Sun 12 Mar 2000
- Venue: Teddington Studios
- Series: 40
- Edition: 26
- Code name: Visitor
on the guest list...
- Cassie - daughter
- Emily - daughter
- Rebecca - daughter
- Joshua - son
- Esther Rantzen - wife
- Nerys Hughes
- Nigel - brother
- Mike - brother
- Judy - sister-in-law
- John Davis
- Dennis Signy
- Claire - daughter
- Trevor - son-in-law
- Ruby - granddaughter
- Martha - granddaughter
- Archard - grandson
- Drew - grandson
- Adam - son
- Brian McConnell
- Gillian Reynolds
- Jenny Barraclough
- Jeanne La Chard
- John Pitman
- Adrian Mills
- Sally Magnusson
- Alex McCall
- Connie Carnan
- Doreen Carnan
- Pat Kerr
- Marc Adams-Jones
- Karen Adams-Jones
- Rex Stanbridge
- Rodney Foale
- Jack Ashley
- Pauline Ashley
- Floella Benjamin
- Joshua Handel
- Max Caplin
- Andy - son-in-law
- Rosie - granddaughter
- Ian Jackson
- Marjorie Jackson
- David Jackson Filmed tributes:
- David Frost
- Charlie Dimmock
- Jeremy Isaacs
- Nick Ross
- Des Lynam
- The Duchess of Kent
related appearances...
- Janet Brown - Dec 1980
- Esther Rantzen - Nov 1988
- Pat Kerr - Oct 1992
- The Night of 1000 Lives - Jan 2000
production team...
- Researcher: Paul Broadbent
- Writer: Ian Brown
- Director: John Gorman
- 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
celebrating the hosts
keeping it in the family
a celebration of a thousand editions
Screenshots of Desmond Wilcox This Is Your Life
Series 40 subjects
Roger Black | Hewitt Clark | Martin Kemp | Denise Welch | Rudolph Walker | Martin Jarvis | Stuart Hall | Rita TushinghamLen Vale-Onslow | Dale Winton | Ian Wright | Marguerite Patten | Eddie Jordan | Dave Lee Travis | Harry Hill
David Vine | John Craven | Richard Dunwoody | Tom Baker | Laurie Holloway | Kay Mellor | Mark Wingett
Christopher Timothy | Suggs | Jason Leonard | Desmond Wilcox | Roger Kendall | Daniel O'Donnell