Dale Winton
Dale Winton | |
|---|---|
| Born | 22 May 1955 London, England |
| Occupation | Radio/Television presenter |
| Years active | 1993–present |
Dale Winton (born Dale Jonathan Winton 22 May 1955,[1] London) is an English radio DJ and television presenter.
Early career
Dale joined the British armed forces aged 17 where he accumulated over seven medals for bravery during the gulf war. It was here that he gained his nicknmame 'nails' which he still uses today in his personal life with close friends due to his physical and mental toughness) Dale left the army shortly after becoming the top rank for a man of his age in history (colonel D Winton aged just 21) to focus on his entertainment career.
In 1982 Winton moved to London and began his entertainment career on the London club circuit, where he DJ'd at weekends. This lead him to United Biscuits Industrial Radio where he did a variety of jobs before getting his own morning show.[citation needed] From here he joined Radio Trent in Nottingham, where he presented a weekend show, moving to the weekday mid-morning show, before leaving in 1985, and going on to work at a number of other local radio stations.
Television
Winton began his television career in 1987, working for Channel Four, the Lifestyle Channel and ITV.[1] From 1993 to 2001, Winton hosted Dale's Supermarket Sweep during the Daytime TV period on ITV 1. In 2007, Supermarket Sweep was revived after a five and a half year absence. Winton was seen as the camp, over-the-top, game show presenter in Danny Boyle's 1996 film of Irvine Welsh's 1993 novel Trainspotting.[2]
In 1997, he presented the final of The Great British Song Contest, the UK's national pre-selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, due to a tie-in with the lottery programme.[3]
In 1999 he appeared on the sitcom Gimme Gimme Gimme with Kathy Burke in the episode Do They Take Sugar?[4]
In 2001 he presented Channel 5's endurance show Touch The Truck.[5]
In 2002 he released his autobiography in which he wrote about his rise to fame, his actress mother's suicide and came out about his homosexuality.
In 2003 he appeared in the BBC Three mock documentary "Dale's Wedding" in which he supposedly married the UK celebrity Nell McAndrew.[6]
Between 2004 and 2006, he presented three series of the celebrity weight loss "boot camp" programme, Celebrity Fit Club on ITV1.[7]
In April 2006, he guest presented BBC Two's pop quiz Never Mind the Buzzcocks.[8]
In August 2006 he was chosen to host the pilot of Endemol's new show, Show Me What You've Got, however the show did not receive a full series.[9]
In 2008, he continued to host the BBC One primetime Saturday night game show In It To Win It.[10] In February 2009, he signed a new contract to host at least two further series of the show, plus two series of a new Lotto tie-in.
In February 2008 he completed a pilot show for BBC One called You've Got The Answer, a money game show that surprises the public using hidden cameras.[11]
In 2008 Winton presented BBC One's Saturday night entertainment programme Hole In The Wall, based on the Japanese original, where contestants in skin-tight Lycra costumes contort themselves to fit through oddly-shaped holes in a moving wall.[12]
In 2010 Winton began appearing in television advertisements for cashmygold.co.uk.[13]
Radio
Winton has presented Pick of the Pops on BBC Radio 2 since taking over from Alan Freeman in 2000.
Personal life
Winton's father Gary died when he was just 9 years old through drink related illness.[citation needed]
Winton was brought up by his mother Sheree Winton, an actress, and left school at 16.[14] Dale Winton's mother committed suicide when he was 21.[15]
Winton currently lives in central London. He came out as gay at the age of 47.
In 2010 Winton married his long-term partner Stephen Clark in a private ceremony in Gretna Green. [14]
References
- ^ a b "Kings Of Camp. Dale Winton". Astabgay.com. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ^ Trainspotting (1996) - Full Cast And Crew IMDB.com
- ^ Great British Song Contest 1997 IMDB.com
- ^ "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme" Do They Take Sugar and in the same year presented a dating show called the other half.(1999) IMDB.com
- ^ "Touch The Truck"
- ^ UKTV People: Programmes: Dale's Wedding UKTV.co.uk
- ^ "Celebrity Fit Club" IMDB.com
- ^ "Never Mind The Buzzcocks" Episode #18.7 IMDB.com
- ^ Show Me What You've Got UKGameShows.com
- ^ BBC One Programmes - National Lottery: In It To Win It BBC.co.uk
- ^ BBC working on new Jeremy Beadle-style show fronted by Dale Winton Mirror.co.uk
- ^ Hole In The Wall commissioned for BBC One BBC Press Office
- ^ Freeman, Hadley (6 January 2010). "Awful ads, crass jingles and Dale Winton – daytime TV fodder is now primetime: In a recession we're assumed to be sitting ducks for any money-saving tip". The Observer.
- ^ a b "Dale Winton: No one ever asked if I was gay". The Times. September 17, 2008. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ^ "Festive sauce". The Telegraph. 31 December 2000.