This Is Your Life: Sue Barker

Sue BARKER (1956-)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Sue Barker, television presenter and former tennis player, was surprised by Michael Aspel while being interviewed by John Dunn about her new career as a presenter at BBC Broadcasting House in central London.

Sue, who was born in Paignton, was ranked the world number 3 women's tennis player at the age of 21, having won the 1976 French Open, and reached the Wimbledon semi-finals the following year. After playing the world circuit for 11 years, a succession of injuries brought her playing career to a halt in 1985.

After retiring as a tennis player, Sue became a commentator and sports reporter for Australia's Channel 7 in 1985 before anchoring tennis coverage for British Sky Broadcasting from 1990 to 1993. In 1993, she joined the BBC and hosted its Wimbledon coverage as a regular guest before taking over as host of Today at Wimbledon in 1994.

programme details...

Edition No: 946
Subject No: 922
Broadcast date: Wed 28 Feb 1996
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Recorded: Mon 19 Feb 1996
Venue: unknown
Series: 36
Edition: 26
Code name: Net

on the guest list...

Lance Tankard - husband
Betty - mother
Neil - brother
Jane - sister
Peter - brother-in-law
Simon - nephew
Des Lynam
Pat Chadwick
Celia Embury
Gerald Williams
Father Noel Winn
Roger Taylor
Annabel Croft
Paul Dempsey
Jonathan Martin
Duncan Goodhew
Robin Cousins
Harry Carpenter
Karen Scott Happer
Sister Evaristus
Sister Tarcisius
Sister Placidus
Billie Jean King
Virginia Wade
John Lloyd
Pam Shriver
Chris Evert
Ian Botham

production team...

Researcher: Sue Green
Writer: Norman Giller
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...

World of Sport

serving up tennis and golf

Screenshots of Sue Barker This Is Your Life

Sue Barker recalls her experience of This Is Your Life in her autobiography, Calling the Shots...

This Is Your Life, hosted first by Eamonn Andrews and then Michael Aspel, was a high-profile family entertainment show I'd followed all my life. It was always interesting to see who was being surprised with the big red book, just as today it's fun to see who's on Strictly Come Dancing or Dancing on Ice. I once said to Lance, 'I will divorce you if you get me on that show,' and I told my mum I'd never speak to her again if she had any involvement in signing me up for it I did not want my life aired without me having any control over it (naively, I believed that people were genuinely ambushed on the day).

In my diary on 19 February 1996, I was down to do an early evening radio interview with John Dunn, who hosted the weekday drive-time show on Radio 2 in Broadcasting House - as I understood it, for something related to my role at the BBC. Lance casually suggested that we meet up for dinner with some friends we hadn't seen for ages while I was in London. We discussed booking a nice restaurant - he knew that I would stick on a pair of jeans, trainers and a baseball cap if I was just doing radio. I put on a reasonable shirt and trousers and off I went at the appointed time to do this interview. When I arrived, I realised John had just come off air. I thought maybe we were going to record a short item. I sat down, and we chatted away for a few minutes. Then Michael Aspel appeared at the back of the studio with the big red book and I assumed it was for John. He was 20 years or so older than me. I was just 39. I mean, I thought I hadn't had a life yet. ‘Oh, John, congratulations!' I screeched, clapping excitedly.

But Michael bypassed John and said, 'Sue Barker. This is your life.'

I thought, This cannot be happening. I must have had such a fixed smile on my face. I had a basic mobile phone in those days, which was whisked off me. I wasn't allowed to contact anyone. I was escorted to a room at BBC Television Centre and not allowed out. Food and drinks were provided. Recording would start in an hour. My first thought was, Oh God, what am I going to wear? I was told not to worry - Lance had brought me some outfits. Well, that was cause for worry. Needless to say, he brought me a choice of two suits, no matching shoes, no stockings and no top to wear under a jacket. I mean, absolutely no thought went into it whatsoever. We had to send out for stockings and matching shoes, but I wouldn't have chosen the shoes or the outfit. I felt ridiculous but out on to the stage I went in this cream skirt-suit and saw in front of me, assembled in the seats, a who's who of my life. Everyone thought it was hilarious. Michael said, ‘Meet the person responsible for this … your husband, Lance!’ When Lance came on to the stage, I moved towards him smiling, but if you can lip-read, it's clear I say to him, 'You're dead.'

Lance answered Michael’s questions and he sounded like an alien. I don't know how he ever agreed to do it because he was so out of his comfort zone. And there was my mum, my brother and sister, cousins, extended family, my old school friends Giovanna and Melanie … friends from tennis such as John Barrett, Angela Mortimer, John Parsons, Laurie Pignon and the Dragon, Gerry Williams, Roger Taylor, Mark Cox; people I've met through television, like Paul Dempsey, Robin Cousins, Duncan Goodhew. Harry Carpenter. Even Des Lynam was there. They had a link to Pam Shriver and Chris Evert in America. Other guests who walked on included our PE teachers, Mrs Chadwick and Mrs Embury - without either of those two selfless teachers I wouldn't have been standing there. Next came Sister Placidus, Sister Moira and Sister Evaristus. Crikey, two of them tried to expel me when I'd turned Sister Moira's plants upside down because she wouldn't let me go and play tennis, but they came on stage and it was such a surreal experience because they were so lovely in everything they said. Michael then announced there was one person who particularly remembered me at the Marist Convent who knew I was 'destined to be a superstar’. It was the sort of drum-roll entrance: 'You probably remember him, Sue, as Brother Alan, but he's now Reverend Alan. Please welcome the reverend…’

My mind went blank. I had no recollection of this brother. It was absolutely bizarre. He walked on and I still didn't recognise him. I glanced across at Giovanna and Melanie and they were looking at me quizzically. The reverend gave me a big hug and told these amazing stories about how talented I was and how he knew I was going to be this, that and the other. Thank you very much. Off he goes to take his seat.

Then my Australian friend Karen Scott came on. And when I saw her I had my head in my hands because Karen and I misbehave when we're together. I knew she would want to tell a naughty story about some silly antics we'd got up to and I was thinking, Oh no, this is on national television! Thankfully she largely managed to restrain herself, and after the final guests had said their bit, the party got under way. Des had popped in for the start of the show, but he was preparing for Match of the Day and said he'd pop back later.

The mystery of Reverend Alan continued. I sidled up to Giovanna and Melanie and asked if they knew him from the church, as they are both Catholic and had to go to Mass at the convent, unlike me. They couldn't place him. The party was in full swing and the reverend was hosing down the drinks, getting more and more p****d. Des came back and whispered, 'I don't think he's going to last long.' Within minutes, the reverend had collapsed and was out cold on the floor. The producers had him swiftly taken back to the hotel in a taxi. And we thought no more about it.

A week later the producer called to see how the programme had gone down with me. She revealed that the majority of people pretend they're surprised but in reality they have already discussed it with their family. I said I would have had a very different list if I'd had any say in this programme. I mean, where did that reverend come from? And what happened to him? Apparently, once he’d woken up from his drunken stupor, he cleared out the hotel minibar and scarpered. We still have no idea who he was, but he enjoyed a nice trip up to London, got totally slaughtered and left with his suitcase clinking with miniatures. So well done him. Despite my misgivings, we had such a laugh at the party and it actually made it with the nuns coming on and the mysterious reverend. The hold barmy army was back.

Series 36 subjects