Derek Davis
Derek Davis | |
|---|---|
| Born | Derek orlando Davis |
| Career | |
| Show | Today with Derek Davis |
| Station | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| Time slot | 10:00a.m. Weekdays |
| Style | Current affairs |
| Country | Ireland |
| Website | Today with Derek Davis |
Derek Davis is an Irish television personality.
Personal life
Derek Davis was born in Bangor, County Down. His father was a Protestant and his mother a Catholic from Bray, County Wicklow. Davis attended a Catholic boarding school in Antrim and describes his upbringing as ecumenical[1]. During his childhood in Bangor he acquired his love of boats which later provided the inspiration for a TV series. Davis is an avid supporter of Scunthorpe United soccer club, he is said to have joked about dying for his team. [citation needed] Davis is a keen pigeon fancier and regularly races his sporting pigeons with great success, in 1994 his flock came 4th in the belfast hop.[citation needed]
Early career
Davis started as a news reporter with the American network ABC and BBC Northern Ireland before spending 11 years in the newsroom in RTÉ. Davis also presented the Rose of Tralee on one occasion when Gay Byrne was taken ill at short notice.
Television work
In the early 1990s Davis co-hosted (with Thelma Mansfield) an afternoon show on RTÉ 1 called Live at Three. In addition to this he had an interactive summer show, simply called Davis.
Both these shows were eventually axed after a long run. Davis returned to the screen in the late 1990s with a marine programme devoted to boats and the waters around Ireland, called Out of the Blue which ran for four series[2], the last of which was broadcast in 2001.
His latest appearance on television was in 2005 on a show called Time on Their Hands, a travel series for middle-aged people.
Davis has won two Jacob's Awards for his television work. In 1984, he received his first award for the series The Season That's In It. He won his second award in 1991 for his co-presenting of Live at Three.
Radio work
In 2000, Davis presented a radio show called A Question of Food. Today Davis is rarely seen on television, although he appears frequently on RTÉ Radio 1. During the summer season he has taken over the mid-morning slot usually occupied by Today with Pat Kenny and he has also hosted the radio phone-in show, Liveline, when regular presenter Joe Duffy is on holiday.