Big Red Book
Celebrating television's This Is Your Life
Sammy McCARTHY (1931-2020)
THIS IS YOUR LIFE – Sammy McCarthy, boxer, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the King's Theatre, Hammersmith, having been led to believe he was there to discuss his forthcoming appearance in a sports programme.
Sammy, who was born in Stepney, London, was a successful amateur boxer as a teenager, winning 83 of 90 fights and representing England four times. He turned professional at the age of 19 and was unbeaten in his first 28 fights.
In December 1952, he was chosen as the best young fighter of the year by the Boxing Writers Club, and following a few defeats, he went on to take the British lightweight title and the European and British Empire featherweight titles. However, at the age 25, Sammy announced his retirement from boxing during the live This Is Your Life broadcast.
programme details...
- Edition No: 28
- Subject No: 28
- Broadcast live: Mon 4 Mar 1957
- Broadcast time: 7.30-8.00pm
- Venue: King's Theatre, Hammersmith
- Series: 2
- Edition: 13
on the guest list...
- Fred - father
- Maude - mother
- Mr Dean
- Mrs Dean
- Jimmy Belcher
- Jackie - brother
- Mickie Tobias
- Billy Palmer
- Freddie - brother
- Percy Bird
- Mrs Bird
- Snowy Buckingham
- Sylvia - wife
- Charlie - brother
- Norman Watts
- Hector McCrow
- Ronnie Clayton
- Jean Sneyers
- Terry Spinks
- Minnie - sister
- Maud - sister
- Beattie Taylor - sister
- Joan Smith - sister
- Maureen - sister
- Iris - sister
production team...
- Researchers: Peter Moore, Nigel Ward
- Writer: Gale Pedrick
- Director: unknown
- Producer: T Leslie Jackson
- with thanks to Sammy McCarthy and Richard Barber for their contribution to this page
from flyweight to heavyweight
Stories behind This Is Your Life
a review of the second series
A seven-part article on Eamonn Andrews from John Bull Magazine
Photographs of Sammy McCarthy This Is Your Life
As Sammy McCarthy's programme was broadcast live, his six sisters could not pay their full tribute due to a shortage of time. Having made quite an impact on the viewing public, they were invited on to the end of the series review programme, Stories behind This Is Your Life, broadcast in June 1957, and given the opportunity to tell Eamonn Andrews of the reaction to their brief appearance on the original show
Remarkably active and alert for a man in his early eighties, Sammy recalled being the subject of This Is Your Life in March 1957 as though it were yesterday.
He said that the pretext of getting him to the studio was that a book was going to be written about him, and he was being taken to meet the people that were "putting up the money" for the book.
He had absolutely "no inkling" that he was the subject of the programme and was really surprised when confronted by Eamonn Andrews with his famous book, certainly not the book that Sammy thought was going to feature.
When asked why he thought he was chosen as a subject for the programme he at first said he didn't know. Now, Sammy is famously modest and very reluctant to sing his own praises but when pressed said that he believed the reason was that he had a large following. This is indeed true. Boxing was immensely popular during that period and throughout both his amateur and professional career it is true to say that he was one of the most, if not the most, popular boxers of that era.
He had been considering retirement from the ring and when he found himself the subject of the show it made up his mind and he announced his retirement whilst on the air. As an aside this prompted a guest, Olympic gold medallist Terry Spinks to ask Sammy, on air again, to be his manager in the professional ranks, which he did. The success that Terry attained kept Sammy's name to the fore for many years to come.
The highlight of the show, he told me, was the presence of his family, especially his mother and father. He is very proud of his sisters and their contribution – unfortunately, this is the only visual record remaining of the show. Sammy was, of course, given a copy of the This Is Your Life book, which he still has, but not a tape of the show or a sound recording.
The host, Eamonn Andrews, was a fair boxer in his time and this, in a way, made it easier for Sammy to relate to the surprise sprung on him. He is very complimentary about Eamonn, saying that he was "a thoroughly nice chap".
I asked Sammy if, looking back over the many years that have passed, he was pleased that he was selected. His words were, "Yes, I am. It was an honour to have been chosen." Anyone that knows 'Smiling' Sammy McCarthy will recognise in those words the happiness that appearing on This Is Your Life gave him.
Daily Mirror 5 March 1957
PETER WILSON says - He leaves behind a legacy of sportsmanship
'As the bell sounded he was down again, and as the referee, Gene Henderson, went to lift Gracia's hand in token of victory, little, nice Sammy was standing facing his own corner, bloody and bemused.
I say what I have said before. I can see no prosperous future for McCarthy in the professional fighting ring.'
I WROTE that in the Daily Mirror on January 23 after "smiling" Sammy McCarthy had been decisively beaten by Guy Gracia, of France.
So I have never enjoyed the TV programme "This Is Your Life" as much as I did last night - for the life was McCarthy's and during it he announced his retirement from the ring.
We may have had greater featherweight champions, but we have never had any champion who left behind such a legacy of true sportsmanship.
In five and three-quarter years of professional boxing, Sammy set a good example, both in and out of the ring, for the youngsters who are still to come.
GOOD LUCK TO YOU, SAMMY, IN YOUR NEW LIFE AS A MANAGER.
The Northern Whig and Belfast Post 5 March 1957
SAMMY M'CARTHY (Stepney): the former British featherweight champion, announced his retirement from the ring on BBC Television last night when he appeared in "This Is Your Life".
After the programme Mr Jarvis Astaire, M'Carthy's manager, said that Sammy aimed to stay in boxing, and he would shortly apply to the British Boxing Board of Control for licences to act as manager and coach to young boxers.
"This," said Mr Astaire, "would be in addition to setting himself up in business, which he contemplates doing."
M'Carthy did not know he was to be the subject of the "This Is Your Life" programme. He set out with his manager, under the impression he was to dine with some publishers who are shortly publishing the boxer's biography.
M'Carthy was taken through the back door of the studio which led straight on to the stage of the TV studio set.
The Birmingham Post 5 March 1957
Sammy McCarthy (Stepney), the former British featherweight champion, announced his retirement from the ring on BBC television last night when he appeared in the programme This Is Your Life. After the programme, Mr Jarvis Astaire, McCarthy's manager, said McCarthy would shortly apply for licences to act as manager and coach to young boxers.
McCarthy, who is 25, was an idol of boxing fans in the East End of London. He turned professional early in 1951, and had a succession of fine wins, including one over the then British featherweight champion, Ronnie Clayton, in a non-championship contest.
When McCarthy met Clayton for the title in June 1954 he knocked the champion out in the eighth round.
Halifax Daily Courier and Guardian 5 March 1957
"THIS IS YOUR LIFE" is becoming a bit of a burden. The idea of taking somebody unawares and revealing their life story by a succession of friends and relations popping in and saying some syrupy things is now wearing a bit thin.
This BBC programme stands or falls during actual transmission and that is a dicey chance to take. The producers can go far enough to ensure success by telling the story of somebody well known and - here is the important point - somebody who will be surrounded by a few relations plus some who are able to project some personality into the programme.
Last night's presentation made poor, almost embarrassing, television. Boxer Sammy McCarthy was the central figure, and he seemed superbly calm at the moment of revelation.
His first visitors were his parents, and his mother kissed him good and solid and long - three times in the space of three minutes. Friends from the East End of London popped in to say what a great kid and a real gentleman he was, and the programme ended with his six sisters filing solemnly in one by one, to shake his hand and give him a real "plonker".
Somebody somewhere should stop this mass display of family kissing. From now on let's take it as accepted and understood and begin from there.
Series 2 subjects
Peter Scott | Ada Reeve | Peter Methven | Sue Ryder | Harry S Pepper | Compton Mackenzie | Maud Fairman | Billy SmartBrian Hession | John Barbirolli | Duncan Guthrie | Esmond Knight | Sammy McCarthy | Edwin Madron | Diana Dors
Parry Jones | Percy Flood | G H Elliott | Stuart Hibberd