Chris Evans (presenter)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chris Evans
Evans in 2010
Born
Christopher James Evans

(1966-04-01) 1 April 1966 (age 57)
Warrington, England
Education
Occupations
  • Television presenter
  • disc jockey
  • producer
Years active1983–2002, 2005–present
EmployerVirgin Radio UK
Television
Spouses
  • (m. 1991; div. 1998)
  • (m. 2001; div. 2007)
  • Natasha Shishmanian
    (m. 2007)
Children5
Relatives
Websitevirginradio.co.uk/the-chris-evans-breakfast-show

Christopher James Evans (born 1 April 1966[1]) is an English television presenter, radio DJ and producer for radio and television. He started his broadcasting career working for Piccadilly Radio, Manchester, as a teenager, before moving to London as a presenter for the BBC's BBC Radio London and then Channel 4 television, where The Big Breakfast made him a star. Soon he was able to dictate highly favourable terms, allowing him to broadcast on competing radio and TV stations. Slots like Radio 1 Breakfast and TFI Friday provided a mix of celebrity interviews, music and comic games, delivered in an irreverent style that attracted high ratings, though often also generated significant numbers of complaints. By 2000 he was the UK's highest paid entertainer, according to the Sunday Times Rich List. In the tax year to April 2017, he was the BBC's highest-paid presenter, earning between £2.2m and £2.25m annually.

In 2005, he started a new career on BBC Radio 2, hosting his long-running Drivetime programme in April 2006, before moving in 2010 to host The Chris Evans Breakfast Show every weekday morning. He presented The One Show on Fridays between 2010 and 2015. Between 2011 and 2018, he co-hosted Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park.

In 2015, Evans signed a three-year deal to lead a new Top Gear line-up[2] and presented a revival series of TFI Friday. On 4 July 2016, he announced that he would be stepping down as presenter of Top Gear.[3]

On 3 September 2018, he announced that he would be leaving The Radio 2 Breakfast Show on Christmas Eve, and would be going to Virgin Radio UK to present its breakfast show.[4][5] He moved from BBC Radio 2 with most of his regular team.

Early life[edit]

Evans was born in Warrington, England,[1] the youngest child of bookmaker and health authority wages clerk[6] Martin Joseph Evans (12 November 1921 – 25 April 1979),[7][8] and Minnie Beardsall (1926–2018), who managed a corner shop. His siblings are brother David (born 1953) and sister Diane (born 1963).[8][9] He started his schooling at St Margaret's Church of England Infants and Junior School,[6] and later the Junior School in Orford, Warrington.[citation needed] Evans' father died of colorectal cancer,[10] and his mother was a breast cancer survivor.[11]

He passed the Eleven-Plus exam and started at Boteler Grammar School, Warrington. After the death of his father on Wednesday, 25 April 1979, the 13-year-old Evans took part-time work at an outlet of T. J. & B. McLoughlin's newsagent–tobacconist in Woolston, and ran an alternative tuck-shop at Padgate High School, which was a comprehensive school he attended for the final three years of his secondary education.[6][7] Evans left secondary school aged 16 after moving into the sixth form,[12] and then had a number of dead-end jobs in and around Warrington, including at a private detective agency and, notoriously, as a "Tarzan-ogram".[13]

Career[edit]

Early career[edit]

Evans began his professional career at Piccadilly Radio, Manchester, in 1983, where he had previously had unpaid schoolboy work.[7][14] Until 1984 Evans had three jobs: as an assistant to Timmy Mallett, and playing a character on his show called 'Nobby Nolevel' ('No 'O' Level'); acting as a disc jockey in the evenings at local pubs when he was not at Piccadilly Radio; and still working at the newsagents, opening up daily at 5 a.m. to sort out the newspaper deliveries.

Evans switched to a full-time position at the station in 1984, his new role including being driven around the Manchester area in the radio car to turn up at listeners' houses. In addition he was producer to presenter James H. Reeve. Following this he presented a weekday graveyard slot with competitions and segments where listeners had opportunities to sell their belongings on air.[7]

After working as a producer on Richard Branson's service The Superstation, where he produced material for Jonathan Ross,[7] Evans went on to work at the newly launched BBC Greater London Radio, first as a producer on Emma Freud's mid-morning show, then on Weekend Breakfast with Danny Baker.[13]

Owing to his success working on both shows, Evans was offered a producer role at BBC Radio 1, but was persuaded to stay at GLR after station controller Matthew Bannister gave him the chance to present his own show, taking over Saturday afternoons in early 1990. Three months later, he started presenting The Greenhouse, a Monday-to-Thursday evening show; he remained in this slot until the end of 1990.

In early 1991, as a result of his first regular TV hosting work presenting the Power Up breakfast show on The Power Station for British Satellite Broadcasting, Evans moved to presenting Round at Chris's, every Saturday morning from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., which he continued to present until April 1993.

Career success[edit]

In addition to his Saturday morning show on GLR, in March 1992 Evans began presenting a Sunday afternoon show on BBC Radio 1, replacing Phillip Schofield. His show, Too Much Gravy, was broadcast from 14:30 to 16:00 and ended in September 1992. His move to Radio 1 was short-lived but seen as a huge success, with controller Johnny Beerling later admitting he wished he'd offered Evans a full-time show there and then. At the time, however, Evans objected that Radio 1 had attempted to constrain his style, preventing him from using the "zoo" format, allegedly because Steve Wright was already doing that on the station.

In April 1993, Evans left GLR and joined the new Virgin Radio, to host a Saturday morning show.[citation needed]

The Big Breakfast[edit]

Evans' departure from radio was in part so he could devote his time to the new Channel 4 breakfast television show, The Big Breakfast, from 28 September 1992. He co-hosted the show with Gaby Roslin.[15]

Evans left The Big Breakfast on 29 September 1994 and formed his own television production company, Ginger Productions. Its first major programme, Don't Forget Your Toothbrush, was broadcast between 1994 and 1995. The original concepts proved to be lucrative for Evans as its format was sold to numerous foreign broadcasters.[13]

The Radio 1 Breakfast Show[edit]

In April 1995, Evans returned to radio to host the flagship Radio 1 Breakfast Show. Evans negotiated into his contract with Radio 1 a clause allowing him to still make television programmes, and specifically an option to make a Friday night programme for Channel 4. A further clause required the Breakfast Show to be produced independently by Evans' Ginger company, rather than in-house by BBC Radio.[16]

Allowed to create the "zoo" format he had previously been disallowed from performing on Radio 1, Evans was given a free rein by his friend, the station's controller Matthew Bannister. Critics hated innuendo-laden features like Honk Your Horn and in Bed with Your Girlfriend, but Evans put on 600,000 new listeners over Steve Wright – one for every £5 spent on salary and advertising. The effect also flowed through into the listening figures for later programmes. The audience grew as the breakfast format became more outrageous: humiliating assistant Holly Samos by repeatedly asking her about her sex life (Evans and Samos were reportedly in a relationship at periods through their time working together), and encouraging two female guests to perform a strip show on live radio.[17] The show's highest listening figure reached 7.5 million.[18]

Evans began making editions of Channel 4's TFI Friday from 1996. The show – devised, produced and hosted by Evans through his Ginger Media company – combined celebrity interviews, musical guests and daft games and competitions. Largely based on the successful formula of his radio show, it was initially a big success. However, as the success of both shows peaked, combined with a string of celebrity relationships and highly publicised nights drinking with friends Danny Baker and Paul Gascoigne, the strain began to show, and a model emerged described as a "template for his approach to all his subsequent projects – an abundance of enthusiasm at the beginning which eventually falls prey to boredom and shiftlessness."[18]

Beginning to think he was indispensable at Radio 1, the first big falling-out with management came in December 1995 after taking his crew out on a 17-hour pub-crawl which ended two hours before they were due on air: Evans was fined one day's pay, £7,000.[17] In 1996, broadcasting watchdogs investigated a continual trail of complaints against the show: Radio 1 refused to comment, Evans never said sorry. Evans also made increasing public demands of the Radio 1 management: after taking an extra week of unplanned holiday, Evans chose to turn up half an hour late for his 06:30 show and then demanded that his hours were changed so that it was a permanent fixture – this request was accepted.[17]

However, following the summer break things got decidedly worse. Criticised by the broadcasting watchdog for a tasteless joke about Holocaust victim Anne Frank, Evans countered with an item about haemorrhoids.[17] Asked by Bannister to watch the rules, Evans the next day branded Bannister "The Fat Controller".[17] In November, Evans announced on air that he was medically unfit to be on the radio – Bannister re-negotiated his contract to double his holiday to twice that of other Radio 1 DJs. After more publicised public drinking and self-confessed illness, Evans' spell at the station ended in January 1997 when he quit after his demand not to host the show on Friday (to have a full day getting ready for his TV show) was not accepted.[17]

The Radio 1 Breakfast Show was taken over by Mark and Lard (Mark Radcliffe and Marc Riley).[19] When Evans found out that they were a ratings disaster, he quickly got in touch with BBC Radio 1 management to ask whether he could take back the show again.[citation needed] Station management declined but did offer him a weekend slot, which he turned down. In response to the falling ratings, bosses decided to replace its presenters with the relatively unknown Kevin Greening and the well-known children's TV presenter Zoe Ball. Their tenure started on 13 October 1997.

Virgin Radio[edit]

During a holiday in Killarney, Evans listened to the Irish broadcaster Gerry Ryan on the radio. Evans claims the variety on Ryan's show made him want to return to radio.[20] Evans was then hired by Virgin Radio to host its breakfast show, prompting an immediate upsurge in station listening figures of 1.8 million to 2.6 million. His first show was on 13 October 1997, the same day as Kevin Greening and Zoë Ball on Radio 1. Starting at 7:00 am, Evans' crew presented the show from Monday to Friday, but without Evans on a Friday.

As Richard Branson had decided to reduce his media holding, he began talks to sell the station to Capital Radio in a deal that would have given him 10% of holding company Capital Group. As this became public knowledge, Evans, who did not want to work for Capital, publicly dismissed them as "a bleating, blowing asthmatic dog."[21] On 9 December, with the assistance of investors, Evans' vehicle Ginger Media Group bought Virgin Radio from Branson for £85m, to control the interests both of Ginger Productions and Virgin Radio. Both Apax Partners and Branson each owned 20% of Ginger Media Group, while Evans and his investors owned the remaining 60%.[22] The group later engaged in the prospect of buying the Daily Star newspaper, but decided against from commercial angles.[21]

Virgin Radio's new programme controller Paul Jackson, in light of audience figures which had dropped from a peak of 2.7 million to 1.7 million, had pruned Evans's "zoo" team and installed a music policy which replaced more eclectic choices with a strict diet of chart pop. As a result, on 20 June Evans was followed throughout the day by tabloid newspaper photographers, and undertook an "18-hour bender" which started after his show at 9.30 in the morning, and ended – after numerous pints of Kronenbourg and Guinness, plus five bottles of Dom Pérignon – with Evans asleep in front of a lap-dancer at Stringfellows.[23] Later photographed by the tabloids that week with new wife Billie Piper in the nearest pub to their home in Hascombe, Surrey[24] while claiming he was too ill to present his show,[25] he was dismissed on 28 June 2001 for repeatedly failing to arrive at work. Evans was replaced by the older Steve Penk, whom Evans criticised for his age – 39 versus Evans's then 35.[26]

Evans attempted to sue Virgin Radio, claiming that he was unfairly dismissed and denied share options worth £8.6 million.[27] On 26 June 2003, in the judgement of Evans v SMG Television Ltd. & Ors 2003 EWHC 1423 (Ch), Justice Lightman found that he had been fairly dismissed and was not entitled to the share options.[28] Giving his ruling at the High Court, Evans was publicly criticised for his attitude by the judge, who said of Evans: "He has the temperament of a prima donna."[29] Virgin Radio/SMG later countersued, with Evans ordered to pay £1m towards their legal costs.[30]

In his autobiography, Evans writes that shortly after the sale of Virgin Radio he was offered £56m for his SMG shares by Goldman Sachs.[citation needed] He declined the offer[citation needed] and eventually sold them for £250,000.[citation needed]

UMTV[edit]

In August 2002 Chris Evans set up a radio and television production company, UMTV, with the aim of specialising in live, cutting-edge, entertainment programming. Over the next 3 years UMTV produced more than 375 hours of television, with mixed success. TV shows included Boys and Girls hosted by Vernon Kay for Channel 4,[31] Johnny Vegas: 18 Stone of Idiot for Channel 4 / E4; OFI Sunday for ITV;[32] Live with Christian O'Connell and Live with Chris Moyles for Five;[24] and the BAFTA award-winning School of Hard Knocks for 4 Learning.[33]

Following two high-profile shows which failed to perform in the ratings, UMTV hired Terry Wogan and Evans' former Big Breakfast co-host Gaby Roslin to host a weekday morning magazine show, The Terry and Gaby Show. Evans said publicly that if this show failed he would set up a market stall. Despite critical acclaim the audience numbers never took off and Channel 5 axed the show after its year-long run, citing its high cost as a reason. True to his word, Evans was pictured at the end of the final show with a market stall and later he opened it for real at Stables Market, Camden.[34]

Radio 2[edit]

Evans and Joss Stone in 2005

Evans re-entered public life in early 2005, presenting the breakfast slot of UK Radio Aid's day of programming for the victims of the Asian tsunami, which was aired on most of the UK's commercial radio stations, and also The BRIT Awards in 2005 and 2006.[35] From April 2005, Evans presented a number of one-off Bank holiday shows for BBC Radio 2,[36] including coverage of the Live 8 concert in London.

Saturday afternoon show[edit]

Evans then joined Radio 2 on a permanent basis in September 2005, presenting a weekly Saturday afternoon show from 14:00 to 17:00. His first show featured singer Robbie Williams, and accompanied by a posse including friend "Big" Pete Winterbottom and newsreader Andrew Peach. Evans told listeners to his first show: "We've had a couple of test drives over the summer and we've decided to take it. Yes, we like this vehicle."[37]

Move to Drivetime[edit]

The show was well received by listeners and critics, and Evans was announced as the successor to Radio 2's Drive time show on 2 March 2006, succeeding long-time host Johnnie Walker, beginning on 18 April.[38] RAJAR audience figures published in August 2006 showed Evans had 150,000 fewer listeners than his predecessor's last show but was on par with previous years.[39] The second set of RAJAR's published in October 2006 showed his audience was up by 109,000-year-on-year, and up by 33,000 compared with the previous quarter. Figures showed he was drawing an average audience of 4.9 million a day on his drivetime show. By the end of 2007, the show was averaging over five million listeners.[40] On 7 September 2009 it was announced that Evans would take over breakfast show from Sir Terry Wogan after Wogan announced his intention to leave the show at the end of the year.[41] Evans hosted his final drivetime show on Christmas Eve 2009.

The Chris Evans Breakfast Show[edit]

Evans took over the Radio 2 breakfast show on 11 January 2010, succeeding Sir Terry Wogan. The show was originally 30 minutes longer than the Wogan incarnation and began at 07:00, but following the departure of Sarah Kennedy from early breakfast, the show was extended by another 30 minutes and began at 06:30. The show always ended with a handover to Ken Bruce at 09:30. While Evans replaced Wogan owing to his long-planned retirement, supporters of Kennedy alleged there was a deliberate intention to force her out so that Evans' show could be lengthened. His first three songs were The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love" and "Got to Get You into My Life"; and Frank Sinatra's "Come Fly with Me". His co-presenters included ex-BBC TV newsreader Moira Stuart, sports presenter Jonny Saunders (who was replaced in June 2011 by Vassos Alexander), and travel reporter Lynn Bowles. Features included The Gobsmackers (two songs selected by a listener that sound good played back-to-back).

On 3 September 2018, Evans announced live on air that he would be leaving the show and the station in December for Virgin Radio.[4] On 11 September the BBC Director General Lord Tony Hall told the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee that, as well as wanting a new challenge, releasing the salaries of those at the BBC earning more than £150,000 had been a contributing factor in Evans' leaving. A month later, Evans confirmed live on air that Zoe Ball would replace him on the show from January 2019. The show officially ended on 24 December 2018.[42] Evans moved to Virgin with most of his Radio 2 team including sports reporter Vassos Alexander and Rachel Horne who provides regular news bulletins expanded her role as the show's travel expert. Ellie Davis leads the show as Executive Producer and producer Meera Depala is also part of the team. Supporting Davis are David Brain (Producer) and Jayne Cheeseman (Assistant Producer) who produced the previous breakfast show on Virgin Radio.[citation needed]

Sony Music Radio Personality of the Year[edit]

In May 2006, Evans was named Music Radio Personality of the Year at the annual Sony Radio Academy Awards, defeating rivals Jamie Theakston, Lauren Laverne, Marc Riley and Tim Lovejoy to win. When accepting the award, Evans thanked the BBC for giving him "a second chance."[43] Evans won 'music radio personality' the following year, while his show won the Entertainment award. "I didn't expect this," he said. "I wouldn't have minded if I didn't win, but I really love the fact I have won."[44][45] Evans was voted the 82nd most influential media personality in The Guardian newspaper's 2007 poll.[46]

Return to television[edit]

Following his success in the 1990s, Evans' attempts at a TV comeback in the 21st century have been mixed with a record of poor ratings and cancellations, including falling viewing figures for his recent role as co-host of Friday editions of The One Show.[citation needed] In November and December 2005 Evans presented OFI Sunday on ITV. In a move described by Private Eye as Partridgean, ex-wife Billie Piper was the first guest on the programme.[47] OFI Sunday was cancelled after just five shows following poor reviews and low viewing figures. Its cancellation led Evans to complain on air during his Saturday BBC Radio 2 slot that he no longer knew how to be successful on television. In 2009 Evans narrated the CBeebies Christmas pantomime.

The One Show (2010–15)[edit]

In 2010, it was announced that Evans would be replacing Adrian Chiles as the Friday co-presenter of The One Show on BBC One.[48] Chiles and then co-host Christine Bleakley left the show to join ITV. Evans presented the show on Fridays with Alex Jones, and occasionally covered other weekdays. Matt Baker presented the show on a regular Monday to Thursday basis.

In 2015, Evans announced he was quitting The One Show to focus on Top Gear.[49]

Return to Channel 4[edit]

In January 2011 Evans returned to Channel 4 to present a new reality show Famous and Fearless, in which eight celebrities were arranged into two teams, 'Boys' and 'Girls'. The celebrities taking part on the boys' team were: Rufus Hound, Charley Boorman, Sam Branson (son of Richard Branson) and Jonah Lomu. On the girls' team were Jenny Frost, Kacey Ainsworth, Sarah Jayne Dunn and Dame Kelly Holmes. Holmes won the girls'; Boorman won the boys' and the show outright.[50] In February 2011, it was reported that the show had been axed after one series due to poor ratings.[51]

Top Gear[edit]

On 16 June 2015, the BBC announced that Evans had signed a three-year deal to be the main presenter on the BBC Two motoring show Top Gear,[52][53] following the departure of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May.

On his radio show the next morning he confirmed his acceptance and explained the offer came after James May and Richard Hammond had confirmed to the BBC they would not be returning to the show. Evans stated that before the announcement, he sent texts to May, Hammond and Clarkson and received supportive replies from all three.[54]

In February 2016, it was confirmed that Matt LeBlanc, Rory Reid, Sabine Schmitz, Chris Harris and Eddie Jordan would also be joining Evans for the twenty third series of Top Gear.[55][56] It was also revealed that the new series would begin airing in May 2016.

Controversies[edit]

Sale of GMG – dismissal and legal cases[edit]

On 14 March 2000, Evans agreed the sale of Ginger Media Group to Scottish Media Group for £225m.[22] The sale made Evans the highest-paid entertainer in the UK in 2000, estimated by the Sunday Times Rich List to have been paid around £35.5million.[57] Following poor reviews of TFI Friday,[58] and Evans himself handing over presentation of the last series of the show to a series of "friends", the show was cancelled in December 2000.[59]

Evans continued to host the station's breakfast show, but echoes of his earlier dismissal from Radio 1 began to emerge. In May 2000, the station was fined £75,000 (then the largest penalty imposed by the Radio Authority) for his repeated on-air endorsement of Ken Livingstone in the London mayoral elections.[60]

Allegations and termination from Top Gear[edit]

The first episode of the new series of six episodes was broadcast 29 May 2016.[61] In June 2016 it was reported that fellow presenter LeBlanc had threatened to quit the show unless Evans was fired, because of inappropriate behaviour on set. The source alleged that Evans had become jealous of the attention the other presenters were getting and had become distanced from the group.[62]

On 4 July 2016 Evans announced that he had stepped down as presenter of the show and cutting his contract with Top Gear short by two years.[63] Throughout the duration of the new series, Evans had received strong criticism due to his presenting style.[64]

In the tax year to April 2017, he was the BBC's highest paid presenter, earning between £2.2m and £2.25m.[65]

Personal life[edit]

Evans has a daughter, Jade (born 1986), by former fiancée Alison Ward.[9] In 1998, after a long-running dispute, the couple reached an out-of-court arrangement whereby Evans provided a home for his daughter and an allowance to Ward.[12][66] On 9 January 2015, Evans became a grandfather when Jade gave birth to her son.[67]

Evans married Carol McGiffin in 1991. Their 1993 break up was not amicable and the two divorced in 1998. McGiffin was scathing about Evans in newspaper articles as late as 2003.[7][18]

During his time at BBC Radio 1 and Virgin, Evans had well publicised relationships with Kim Wilde, model Rachel Tatton-Brown (whose sister was a researcher on The Big Breakfast), assistant producer Suzi Aplin, Anthea Turner,[7] Geri Halliwell[68] and Melanie Sykes.[13]

In May 2000, Evans met teenage pop star Billie Piper, whom he dated for a while. As a present to him, she proposed on his 35th birthday, and the couple married in a £200 ceremony at the Little Church of the West in Las Vegas, Nevada, US on 6 May 2001, in a ceremony attended by six guests including best man Danny Baker, Piper was aged eighteen.[69] In September 2004, news stories circulated regarding a trial separation; Evans at the time had a stall at Camden Market where he sold furniture and paintings from his London and Los Angeles homes, commenting: "I just want to get rid of it all, it's just a headache."[34] In 2005, it was confirmed that Evans and Piper would divorce, with Piper publicly stating that she would take no money from Evans. Almost three years after they had separated, Evans and Piper divorced in May 2007.[70]

A keen golfer who plays with a handicap of 15, Evans met professional golfer, part-time model and columnist for Golf Punk magazine Natasha Shishmanian when they became golf partners in the All*Star Cup celebrity tournament in Newport; Evans gave his 17-year-old caddy at the 2005 event, Natalie Harrison, a £10,000 Russian Kristall Smolensk diamond he won for the quality of his play.[71] Evans and Shishmanian married in August 2007, and held a reception in Faro, Portugal the following weekend that was attended by Evans's former wife Piper. The couple have four children and live in Ascot, Berkshire.[72][73][74][75] Their two eldest sons have appeared a number of times on their father's Breakfast Radio show.[76][77]

In March 2008, Evans said in his Radio 2 blog that he had taken "magic mushrooms" two days before attending a Meat Loaf concert at the Royal Albert Hall. He said: "I thought I was chronicling the Albert Hall moving sideways on the back of a giant rock and roll crab, something I didn't think the world should miss." A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said the force would investigate any reports of class A drug-taking.[78]

A fan of fast cars, and particularly Ferraris,[79][80] Evans was banned from driving for 56 days in 2001 and fined £600 after admitting to a speeding charge at Staines Magistrates' Court after being stopped by Surrey Police when driving at 105 mph (169 km/h) on the A3 road in Esher in January 2001.[81] In 2005 Evans crashed his silver Ferrari 575M Maranello into a verge near his then Surrey home.[82] On 18 May 2008, Evans attended RM Auctions/Sotheby's Ferrari auction in Maranello, Italy, and bought a 1961 250 GT Spyder California SWB formerly owned by US actor James Coburn for the then world record price of 6.4 million euros. In May 2010 he bought a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO, one of only thirty-six built, for £12 million. Reportedly he sold three Ferraris from his collection to pay for it. He sold it three years later for $25 million to a Swiss collector.[83]

In August 2002, Evans was a member of crew aboard the sailing yacht Nausicaa with six other people, when James Ward, landlord of the White Horse in Hascombe, Surrey, which was then Evans' local pub, drowned in an accident in The Solent.[84] In September 2007, Evans and Shishmanian started taking helicopter lessons at Shoreham Airport.[85]

Evans is a first cousin of the father of former Scottish Rugby internationals Max Evans and Thom Evans.[86]

Evans is also an ambassador for The Scout Association.[87]

On 15 November 2016, Evans was awarded an honorary degree from York St John University; he was presented this by university's chancellor Archbishop Dr John Sentamu at York Minster. On 3 May 2018, Evans' mother Minnie died at the age of 92. His Radio 2 Breakfast show was presented, until 8.30, by regular co-presenter Vassos Alexander.[88]

On 21 August 2023, Evans revealed he was being treated for melanoma;[89] on 20 September, he revealed he was now cancer-free.[90]

Shows hosted[edit]

The following lists are the main shows Evans has presented:

Television[edit]

Year Title Channel Role
1990–1991 Power Up The Power Station / BSB Presenter
1991 TV Mayhem ITV / TV-am Presenter
1992–1994 The Big Breakfast Channel 4 Co-presenter
1994–1995 Don't Forget Your Toothbrush Channel 4 Presenter
1996–2000, 2015 TFI Friday Channel 4 Presenter
2001 Bob The Builder: A Christmas to Remember Voice Of Lennie Lazenby
2005 OFI Sunday ITV Presenter
2009 CBeebies Pantomime; Jack and Jill CBeebies Narrator
2010–2015 The One Show BBC One Friday Co-presenter
2011 Famous and Fearless Channel 4 Co-presenter
2011 Sir Jimmy Savile: As It Happened BBC1 Narrator
2016 Top Gear BBC Two Presenter (1 series)

Radio[edit]

  • Piccadilly Radio, Saturday afternoons & weekday evenings (1986–1987)
  • BBC GLR, Saturday afternoons, 3–5 pm (1990)
  • BBC GLR, The Greenhouse, Mondays–Thursdays, 7:30–10 pm (1990)
  • BBC GLR, Round at Chris's, Saturdays, 10 am – 1 pm (January 1991– April 1993)
  • BBC Radio 1, Too Much Gravy, Sundays, 2:30 pm – 4 pm (March – September 1992)
  • Virgin Radio, Saturday mornings, 10 am – 1 pm (May -July 1993)
  • BBC Radio 1, Weekday Breakfast Show, 6:30–9 am (April 1995 – January 1997)
  • Virgin Radio, Weekday Breakfast Show, 6–10 am (October 1997 – June 2001)
  • BBC Radio 2, Saturday afternoons, 2–5 pm (September 2005– April 2006)
  • BBC Radio 2, Weekday Drivetime Show, 5–7 pm (18 April 2006 – 24 December 2009)
  • BBC Radio 2, Weekday Breakfast Show, 7:00–9:30 am (11 January 2010 – 24 September 2010); 6:30–9:30 am (11 October 2010 – 24 December 2018)[91]
  • Virgin Radio UK, Weekday Breakfast Show, 6:30–10:00 am (21 January 2019–present)

Bibliography[edit]

To date, Evans has written three autobiographies:

  • It's Not What You Think. Harper Collins. 2009. ISBN 978-0-00-732723-2.
  • Memoirs of a Fruitcake. Harper Collins. 2010. ISBN 978-0-00-734568-7. (also advertised as It's Not About Me: From Billie to Breakfast)
  • Call The Midlife. W&N. 2015. ISBN 978-0297609827.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Chris Evans". Chris Evans Breakfast Show (BBC Radio 2). Archived from the original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  2. ^ "Chris Evans to be new Top Gear presenter". BBC News. 16 June 2015. Archived from the original on 16 June 2015.
  3. ^ "Chris Evans to step down as Top Gear presenter". BBC. 4 July 2016. Archived from the original on 4 July 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  4. ^ a b Savage, Mark (3 September 2018). "Chris Evans to leave Radio 2 breakfast". BBC News. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  5. ^ "HE'S BACK! CHRIS EVANS RETURNS TO VIRGIN RADIO". Virgin Radio. 3 September 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  6. ^ a b c Chris Evans (1 October 2009). It's Not What You Think. Harper Collins. ISBN 978-0-00-732723-2.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Lister, David (14 April 2001). "Chris Evans: The star who fell to earth". The Independent. Retrieved 23 May 2008.[dead link]
  8. ^ a b Births, Marriages & Deaths Index, England and Wales
  9. ^ a b "Chris Evans: Life Story". The Independent. 14 April 2001. Retrieved 24 May 2008.[dead link]
  10. ^ "My brush with cancer, by Chris Evans". Evening Standard. 27 July 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  11. ^ Sheldon, Jess (3 May 2018). "Chris Evans: Radio 2 host saved his mum Minnie's life after breast cancer diagnosis". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  12. ^ a b "Chris Evans resolves maintenance dispute". This is Cheshire. 3 July 1998. Archived from the original on 14 February 2009. Retrieved 23 May 2008.
  13. ^ a b c d "The reign of the Ginger prince". BBC News. 22 December 2000. Archived from the original on 4 March 2003. Retrieved 23 May 2008.
  14. ^ "Piccadilly 261". North West Radio. Archived from the original on 23 June 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2008.
  15. ^ "How the Big Breakfast went from eggxcellent to oeuf-ful | Television & radio | The Guardian". The Guardian. 28 October 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  16. ^ Red letter day for Chris Evans, bbc.co.uk, 11 January 2010
  17. ^ a b c d e f Boshoff, Alison (17 January 1997). "Rise and fall of Radio 1's gaffe-prone presenter". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 12 September 2005. Retrieved 23 May 2008.
  18. ^ a b c Synnot, Siobhan (23 June 2003). "Evans' big hangover". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
  19. ^ Plunkett, John (28 May 2007). "Made in Manchester". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 18 January 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2008.
  20. ^ McDonagh, Patricia (3 May 2010). "'He rescued my radio career,' says BBC star". Independent.ie. Independent News & Media. Archived from the original on 2 August 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
  21. ^ a b Gwyther, Matthew (1 July 1999). "Can this clown be a media mogul?". Management Today. Haymarket. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 23 May 2008.
  22. ^ a b "Evans sells up". BBC News. 13 January 2000. Archived from the original on 23 December 2003. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  23. ^ "Ginger binger". The Telegraph. 1 July 2001. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  24. ^ a b "Evans signs £4m chat show deal". BBC News. 7 July 2002. Archived from the original on 2 March 2009. Retrieved 23 May 2008.
  25. ^ "Timeline: Chris Evans and Virgin". BBC News. 26 June 2003. Archived from the original on 7 March 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  26. ^ "Penk replaces Evans at Virgin Radio". BBC News. 2 July 2001. Archived from the original on 25 February 2004. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  27. ^ "Evans sues for lost Virgin shares". BBC News. 14 December 2001. Archived from the original on 16 July 2004. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  28. ^ "Christopher Evans v SMG Television et al". Royal Courts of Justice. 23 June 2003. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  29. ^ "Evans loses £8.6m damages case". BBC News. 23 June 2003. Archived from the original on 15 February 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  30. ^ "Evans must pay Virgin £1m". BBC News. 2 July 2003. Archived from the original on 30 June 2004. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  31. ^ "Evans' game show given chop". BBC News. 10 June 2003. Archived from the original on 9 January 2006. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
  32. ^ "Live TV comeback for Chris Evans". BBC News. 15 September 2005. Archived from the original on 27 April 2006. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
  33. ^ "Host Evans 'back for schools TV'". BBC News. 27 May 2004. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
  34. ^ a b Thomas, Rachel (27 November 2004). "Chris Evans back on the market". BBC News. Archived from the original on 19 March 2007. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  35. ^ "Chris Evans returns as Brits host". BBC News. 23 November 2004. Archived from the original on 7 March 2007. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
  36. ^ "Evans to return to BBC airwaves". BBC News. 5 March 2005. Archived from the original on 21 November 2006. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
  37. ^ "Chris Evans starts Radio 2 show". BBC News. 17 September 2005. Archived from the original on 22 September 2005. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
  38. ^ Brook, Stephen (18 April 2006). "Chris Evans' new Radio 2 show". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 23 September 2007. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
  39. ^ "Chris Moyles hits audience high". BBC News. 3 August 2006. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
  40. ^ "It's all going to be OK – for another three months at least". BBC. 31 January 2008. Archived from the original on 23 May 2008. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
  41. ^ "Sir Terry to leave breakfast show". BBC News. 7 September 2009. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
  42. ^ "BBC pay reveal 'a factor' in Evans' exit". BBC News. 11 September 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  43. ^ Deitz, Corey (10 May 2006). "BBC Radio 2's Chris Evans Named Music Radio Personality". About.com. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
  44. ^ "Classic FM tops Sony Radio Awards". BBC News. 1 May 2007. Archived from the original on 29 January 2008. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
  45. ^ Gibson, Owen (1 May 2007). "Chris Evans takes two Sonys". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
  46. ^ "No82 – Chris Evans". The Guardian. London. 9 July 2007. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
  47. ^ "Billie Piper appears on OFI Sunday". NOW! magazine. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
  48. ^ "Evans to host Friday's One Show". BBC News. 13 April 2010.
  49. ^ "Chris Evans is quitting The One Show to concentrate on Top Gear". Digital Spy. 19 June 2015. Archived from the original on 20 June 2015.
  50. ^ "Famous and Fearless". Channel 4. Archived from the original on 15 January 2016.
  51. ^ Ryan Love 'Channel 4 axes Famous and Fearless' Archived 24 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine Digital Spy 21 February 2011.
  52. ^ Furness, Hannah (16 June 2015). "Telegraph – Chris Evans confirmed as new Top Gear presenter – Media Centre". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 16 June 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  53. ^ "BBC – Chris Evans to lead new Top Gear line up – Media Centre". www.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 18 June 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  54. ^ "Chris Evans 'wished well' by Top Gear trio". BBC News. 17 June 2015. Archived from the original on 17 June 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  55. ^ "Matt LeBlanc to be Top Gear co-presenter". BBC News. 4 February 2016. Archived from the original on 4 February 2016.
  56. ^ "Eddie Jordan and Sabine Schmitz join Top Gear line-up". BBC News. 11 February 2016. Archived from the original on 11 February 2016.
  57. ^ "Evans tops UK showbiz earners". BBC News. 18 November 2000. Archived from the original on 3 July 2006. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  58. ^ "Channel 4's TFI a 'turn-off'". BBC News. 29 March 1999. Archived from the original on 3 July 2006. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  59. ^ "The rise and fall of TFI". BBC News. 22 December 2000. Archived from the original on 3 July 2006. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  60. ^ "£75,000 fine for Evans line on Livingstone". The Guardian. 16 May 2000. Archived from the original on 1 June 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  61. ^ Vijayenthiran, Viknesh (29 February 2016). "New 'Top Gear' Delayed, Season Cut Short: Report". Motor Authority. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
  62. ^ "Matt LeBlanc 'will quit Top Gear unless Chris Evans is sacked'". 26 June 2016. Archived from the original on 30 June 2016.
  63. ^ "Chris Evans quits BBC Top Gear after just one series". The Guardian. 4 July 2016. Archived from the original on 5 July 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  64. ^ "Chris Evans slams Top Gear's critics as catch-up viewing lifts ratings". The Guardian. 6 June 2016. Archived from the original on 9 July 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  65. ^ Weaver, Matthew (19 July 2017). "BBC accused of discrimination as salaries reveal gender pay gap – as it happened". theguardian.com. Archived from the original on 9 August 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  66. ^ Edge, Simon (10 September 2013). "Chris Evans and the daughter who gave him a second chance". Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  67. ^ "Chris Evans becomes a first-time grandfather". 9 January 2015. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  68. ^ "Geri keeps mum over 'ginger romance'". BBC News. 4 November 1999. Archived from the original on 30 May 2006. Retrieved 23 May 2008.
  69. ^ "Chris Evans weds Billie Piper". BBC News. 6 January 2001. Archived from the original on 3 January 2008. Retrieved 21 May 2008.
  70. ^ "Piper set to refuse divorce cash". BBC News. 26 June 2006. Archived from the original on 7 September 2007. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
  71. ^ "Star gives caddy £10,000 diamond". BBC News. 31 August 2005. Archived from the original on 10 November 2005. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
  72. ^ "DJ Chris Evans welcomes baby son". BBC News. 10 February 2009. Archived from the original on 13 February 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
  73. ^ "BBC Radio 2 – The Chris Evans Breakfast Show, Hay Festival 500 Words with Alex Jones and David Walliams, Chris Evans Announces the Birth of Baby Eli live on Radio 2". BBC. June 2012. Archived from the original on 5 January 2016.
  74. ^ "Chris Evans and wife welcome twins". BBC News. BBC. 20 September 2018.
  75. ^ Roberts, Hannah (5 August 2022). "TV presenter and DJ Chris Evans' quiet life in Berkshire". BerkshireLive. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  76. ^ "Chris Evans on messing up, maturing – and saving his mum's life". Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  77. ^ "Noah Evans: broadcaster of the future – Chris Evans Magnificent 7, Famous 5 and Dine & Disco Weekend for CiN – BBC Children in Need". BBC. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  78. ^ "Chris Evans took magic mushrooms". The Telegraph. London. 27 March 2008. Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  79. ^ "Chris Evans' Ferrari for sale". Autotrader.com. 27 October 2006. Archived from the original on 25 February 2008. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
  80. ^ English, Andrew (19 May 2008). "Chris Evans pays £5m for vintage Ferrari". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 31 May 2008. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
  81. ^ "Chris Evans banned from driving". BBC News. 29 May 2001. Archived from the original on 3 March 2006. Retrieved 23 May 2008.
  82. ^ Dietz, Corey (26 September 2005). "British DJ Chris Evans Crashes Ferrari, Laughs It Off". About.com. Archived from the original on 30 May 2008. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
  83. ^ Pollard, Tim (19 May 2008). "Chris Evans buys Ferrari 250 GT California for £5m". Car Magazine. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
  84. ^ "Evans 'saddened' by sea death". BBC News. 8 August 2002. Archived from the original on 21 January 2007. Retrieved 23 May 2008.
  85. ^ "Chris Evans and wife Natasha fuel romance with chopper lessons". Hello. 18 September 2007. Archived from the original on 19 March 2008. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
  86. ^ Gallagher, Brendan (31 January 2009). "Thom Evans leads the way as Scotland rugby unearth another band of brothers". London: Telegraph Media Group Limited. Archived from the original on 23 May 2010. Retrieved 13 October 2009.
  87. ^ "Enterprise and adventure with the Entrepreneur Challenge". Scouts.org.uk. 22 July 2010. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
  88. ^ "Chris Evans, BBC Radio 2 presenter, pays tribute to mother". BBC News. 3 May 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  89. ^ McLoughlin, Lisa (21 August 2023). "Broadcaster Chris Evans diagnosed with skin cancer". Evening Standard. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  90. ^ "Chris Evans tells listeners he is now cancer free". BBC News. 20 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  91. ^ Savage, Mark (3 September 2018). "Chris Evans to leave Radio 2 for Virgin". BBC News. Retrieved 13 November 2018.

External links[edit]

Media offices
Preceded by BBC Radio 1
Breakfast Show Presenter

1995–1997
Succeeded by
Preceded by BBC Radio 2
Drivetime Show Presenter

2006–2009
Succeeded by
Preceded by BBC Radio 2
Breakfast Show Presenter

2010–2018
Succeeded by