This Is Your Life: Kriss Akabusi

Kriss AKABUSI (1958-)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Kriss Akabusi, television presenter and former athlete, was surprised by Michael Aspel at Heathrow Airport - on his way back from Australia via Los Angeles.

Kriss, who was born in London, grew up in foster care as a child after his Nigerian parents returned to their country. Having joined the British Army in 1975, he served with the Royal Corps of Signals, where he discovered his potential in sports, particularly athletics.

Kriss dominated UK athletics for more than a decade, winning gold medals with the 4x400m relay team at the 1986 and 1990 European Championships and the 1991 Tokyo World Championships and a silver medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games and a bronze medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. In addition, he won gold individually in the 400m hurdles at the 1990 Commonwealth Games and set a British record at the 1990 European Athletics Championships. After retiring from athletics, Kriss worked as a television presenter, notably on the BBC's Record Breakers.

"I can't believe... I'm lost for words!"

programme details...

Edition No: 919
Subject No: 898
Broadcast date: Wed 3 May 1995
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Recorded: Thu 27 Apr 1995
Venue: unknown
Series: 35
Edition: 27
Code name: Fast

on the guest list...

Cheryl Baker
Monika - wife
Sir Eddie Kulukundis
Susan Hampshire
Riba - brother
Lesley Joseph
Daley Thompson
Joycelyn Longworth
Steve Longworth
Shirley Martin
Brian Martin
Lisa Martin
Ian Mackenzie
Tony Lester
Vic Bourgoise
Mike Smith
Phil Brown
Todd Bennett
Ainsley Bennett
Garry Cook
Derek Redmond
Sharron Davies
Daniel - father
Mike Whittingham
Edwin Moses
Roger Black
John Regis

production team...

Researcher: Sue Green
Writer: Roy Bottomley
Director: Brian Klein
Associate Producer: John Graham
Executive Producer: Peter Estall
Producer: Malcolm Morris

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

Going for Gold

celebrating the world's best

Screenshots of Kriss Akabusi This Is Your Life

Ted Harrison recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in his book, Kriss Akabusi On Track...

In 1995 Kriss made a brief visit to Nigeria when he received a letter from his mother, pleading with him to see her before she died. The letter, posted in December 1994, took nearly ten weeks to arrive. In March Kriss had a telephone call from his father asking him to visit, and so he set off for Lagos, not knowing quite what to expect.

On arrival, he was met by his father, and once again Kriss made contact with his Nigerian family. Although the visit was very brief he was able to hear and learn yet more about his roots. His mother was ill, and still estranged from his father, but Kriss was able to reassure himself that she was not in immediate danger. and offered what help he could. Little did Kriss know at the time that he and his father were to meet again within six weeks. in very different circumstances.

The production team of the long-running television series This Is Your Life had decided to make Kriss the subject of one of its programmes and arranged for Kriss to be surprised by Michael Aspel with the big red book at Gatwick Airport, as he returned from a family trip to California.

Monika and a number of friends were in on the secret, and Monika, in particular, had a difficult few weeks fielding telephone calls from the television team without Kriss discovering what was going on. In the event everything went well. When Kriss was let in on the secret in front of the cameras at the airport he was so speechless that all he could do was double up and roar with laughter.

In the studio he met once again with friends from the past including army colleagues, fellow athletes and the family who, at the children's home, had taken him and Riba into their special care.

Right at the end of the programme came the great surprise. The This Is Your Life team had made contact with both of Kriss's parents, and while his mother was not fit to travel to London, his father did. For the great finale, he arrived on the set in his traditional dress and, for the first time, saw his two grandchildren. It was an emotional moment. Chief Daniel Akabusi was afterwards able to stay in England for a few more days and get to know his granddaughters and they him.

Kriss had been chosen as a subject for This Is Your Life not only as a sports star, but also as a television and media personality for, by 1995, he had become well established in this new career, Kriss had wanted to ensure that once his years on the track were over he would still be in a position to maintain his family and earn a good living. The transition from being solely an athlete had been well planned and had taken around four years.

Series 35 subjects