This Is Your Life: Pete Murray

Pete MURRAY (1925-)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Pete Murray, radio and television presenter and actor, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews while interviewing the newly crowned Miss World on his Radio 2 morning show at BBC Broadcasting House in central London.

Pete, who was born in London, trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before embarking on an acting career that included appearances in West End plays and roles in films such as Caravan and My Brother Jonathan.

He moved into broadcasting in 1949 with Radio Luxembourg before joining BBC Radio in the mid-1950s. On television, Pete became one of Britain's first pop music presenters, hosting the rock and roll programme Six-Five Special in the late 1950s and later as a regular panellist on Juke Box Jury.

programme details...

Edition No: 364
Subject No: 365
Broadcast date: Wed 12 Dec 1973
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Recorded: Wed 12 Dec 1973 2.30pm
Venue: Euston Road Studios
Series: 14
Edition: 4

on the guest list...

Tricia - wife
Tony Blackburn
Vera Lynn
Violet - mother
Bill Reece - uncle
Charles Mander
Diana Dors
Jean Kent
Geoffrey Everitt
Michael - son
Francis Matthews
Stratford Johns
Dinsdale Landen
Patricia Driscoll
David Jacobs
Dorothy - aunt
Lawrence - uncle
Frank Lee
Bob McNab
Bob Wilson
members of Arsenal FC team

production team...

Researchers: Sarah Manwaring-White, Dee Maclure
Writer: John Viner
Directors: Royston Mayoh, Peter Webb
Producer: Malcolm Morris

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

Radio Times

tuning in the broadcasters

The Night of 1000 Lives

a celebration of a thousand editions

Pete Murray recalls his experience of This Is Your Life in his autobiography, One Day I'll Forget My Trousers...

On December 11th of 1973, my producer, Harry Walters, told me that Marjorie Wallace, Miss World, would be a guest on the programme. "I hope you don't mind," he said, "but they are filming a day in the life of Miss World, and there will be a film crew in the studio."

"No, not at all, that suits me fine," I said, making a note to wear something a bit more respectable than my usual casual wear.

At the end of the programme, Harry came in and said: "That was a marvellous interview, Peter," and at that moment I did a double-take, because behind him was Eamonn Andrews with that red book under his arm. I turned to Marjorie Wallace and said: "Darling, they've done you."

But she looked straight back at me and said: "Sweetheart, they've done YOU."

This Is Your Life was an eerie experience. Looking back on it, I realised that Tricia had been behaving a bit peculiarly during the previous three weeks, but I had no idea what was happening. All those people have been ganging up on you, and you have no idea.

When the show was over, a terrible fit of depression came over me. It had been a 'once-off' situation. There was a feeling that, now they had done me, that WAS my life. But I was lifted, not for the first time, by Diana Dors, who, as we were leaving the studio, said: "That was great. Now let's do his real life!"

Series 14 subjects