This Is Your Life: Murray Walker

Murray WALKER OBE (1923-2021)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Murray Walker, sports commentator, was surprised by Michael Aspel during the press launch of a promotional video at the Sport's Cafe in London's Lower Regent Street.

Murray's father, Graham, was a champion motorcycle racer during the 1920s and 1930s who went on to commentate for the BBC. Murray, who was born in Birmingham but grew up in Enfield, was a trainee with Dunlop before serving with the Royal Scots Greys during the Second World War. He later tried his hand at motorcycling but gave it up to become a commentator.

The 1949 British Grand Prix at Silverstone for BBC Radio was his first commentating fixture. He broadcast part-time while having a successful parallel career in advertising as the driving force behind a series of household slogans. In 1978, he became the voice of the BBC's Grand Prix coverage, famous for his animated enthusiasm and occasional comical blunders.

"What are you doing here?"

programme details...

Edition No: 984
Subject No: 959
Broadcast date: Mon 10 Nov 1997
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Recorded: Fri 17 Oct 1997
Venue: Teddington Studios
Series: 38
Edition: 11
Code name: Mint

on the guest list...

Damon Hill
Steve Rider
Elizabeth - wife
Brian Emerton
Peter Johnson
Max Robertson
Peter Gwynn
Jonathan Martin
Martin Brundle
Jonathan Palmer
John Cleland
Tim Harvey
Will Hoy
Alain Menu
Neil Duncanson
Johnny Herbert
John Surtees
Stirling Moss
Michael Schumacher
Elsie - mother
Raymond Baxter
Nigel Mansell
Chris Rea

production team...

Researcher: Jo Grant
Writer: Ian Brown
Directors: John Gorman, Peter Wisdom
Associate Producer: Liz Rawlings
Executive Producer: John Longley
Series Producer: Jack Crawshaw
Producer: Sue Green

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

Life at Full Throttle

the lovers of speed

Screenshots of Murray Walker This Is Your Life

Murray Walker recalls his experience of This Is Your Life in his autobiography, Unless I'm Very Much Mistaken, reproduced here with kind permission of the author...

As a result of getting to be a bit famous I had some wonderful experiences, one of which I was well and truly set up for. In 1997 I did a very successful video called Murray's Magic Moments and when it was launched Ivor Schlosberg, the South African boss of production company Astrion, asked me to address the big trade buyers at the Sports Cafe in London's Lower Regent Street. I was in full flow about what was in it and how we'd made it when I became aware of a subtle change in the atmosphere and that the audience weren't looking at me. They were looking just to my left. I took a quick glance over my shoulder and there was Michael Aspel. It didn't immediately register and as everyone burst out laughing I said. 'What the hell are you doing here?'

'Murray Walker.' Came the reply. 'You thought you'd come here to talk about your video but This is Your Life!'

If you're like me you'd love to be the subject for what is one of the most watched and successful TV shows of all time and I was really delighted. I said something stupid – I can't for the life of me remember what – and then started to go on with what I'd been saying.

'Murray, we have to go,' said Michael. 'They're waiting for us.'

Now to the extent that I'd thought about it, I'd always assumed there was several weeks' delay between 'the hit', as they call it, and the actual show, but that isn't the case at all. You go straight to the Teddington Studios, where the programme is recorded in front of a live audience.

'We've got a very special driver and limousine just up the road,' said Michael as we walked towards St James's Square, where I had worked for Masius. When we got to the car the uniformed driver got out to open the door for me. It was Damon Hill! After more flabbergasted reaction from me to camera we drove to Teddington, where I was shown to a dressing room and introduced to two of the female programme staff. As transmission time got near I decided I'd better spruce myself up a bit. 'I think I'd better have a shave,' I said.

'OK, Murray, we'll get you an electric razor.'

They showed no sign of leaving the room so I had my shave and then said, 'Better go to the loo. Where is it?'

'It's just there, Murray, and we're not leaving, you know. We're the Suicide Squad!'

'What do you mean?'

'Well, sometimes the subject panics and tries to do a bunk or phone their friends to tell them they're on the show. So we're here to see you don't!'

No fear of that though, I was really looking forward to it, and when it happened it was great. They must have done a fantastic amount of research and detective work to find the right people from my past and it was a really moving experience to have them appearing through those sliding doors to greet me.

Elizabeth, who had done so much behind the scenes to make it happen, had been brought up from our Hampshire home; they'd somehow located Peter Johnson, my best wartime Army friend from the Royal Scot Greys, and spirited him down from Leeds with his wife; Jonathan Martin from the BBC was there with a lot of my chums from those happy days – including Max Robertson with whom I had done my very first broadcast in 1949; so were the ITV Formula 1 team and Eddie Jordan, [Bigredbook.info editor: there's no sign of Eddie in the broadcast edition] Damon Hill, Johnny Herbert and Martin Brundle; my oldest friend Brian Emerton from Enfield; Peter Gwynn from my Masius years; and Stirling Moss, Nigel Mansell, Michael Schumacher, Chris Rea and Raymond Baxter had all recorded pieces.

No less than four British Touring Car Champions came on to remind me about the great times I'd had with them, but the thing that very nearly broke me up was when my 99-year-old mother appeared on the screen to say that she was sorry she couldn't be with us but that I'd been a good son and to have a great evening. They'd been down to Beaulieu where she lived and interviewed her that very morning.

At the end of a memorable and emotional evening John Surtees, whom I'd competed against at Brands Hatch so long ago, rode in on the superb MV Four he had raced to victory at the Isle of Man TT to say some very nice things. Then we all went to the Green Room for a wonderful party that lasted a long time. It was certainly one of the very high points of my long TV career.

For a while This Is Your Life got to be a bit of a regular occasion for me. After taking part in Nigel Mansell's show... I subsequently took part in others for Raymond Baxter and Eddie Jordan as well as helping Michael Aspel do the hit for Damon Hill's tribute.

Series 38 subjects