Chris Evans

After working as a producer on Richard Branson's service Radio Radio, where he produced material for Jonathan Ross, Evans went on to work at the BBC London radio station GLR, first as a producer on Emma Freud's mid-morning show, and then Weekend Breakfast with Danny Baker. Evans became a presenter on the station in early 1990, taking over a Saturday afternoon show. Three months later, he started presenting the Monday-Thursday evening show, entitled The Greenhouse, which went out from 7.30-10pm; he remained on this slot until the end of 1990.

In early 1991, due to television commitments with BSkyB, Evans took over presenting his show Round At Chris', every Saturday morning from 10am-1pm, which he continued to present until April 1993.

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 who had previously broadcast in the slot. His show called Too Much Gravy, was broadcast from 2.30-4pm and ended in September 1992. His move to Radio 1 was shortlived 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 tried 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 joined Virgin Radio as part of its original line up to host a Saturday morning show called 'The big red mug show'. He was paid £30k pa to present this show but left to pursue his TV career, not to return until 1997.

His departure from Radio 1 was in part so he could devote his time to the new Channel 4 breakfast television show, The Big Breakfast, from 28 September 1992. Evans, along with co-host Gaby Roslin, was an unqualified success in the slot, which brought him national celebrity and considerable acclaim. In 1993 he left GLR to present his radio show with the same format on the newly-launched Virgin Radio, but this only lasted for three months.

Evans left The Big Breakfast on 29 September 1994 and formed his own production company, Ginger Productions. Its first major programme, Don't Forget Your Toothbrush, was broadcast between 1994 and 1995. The original concepts involved proved to be lucrative for Evans as its format was sold to numerous foreign broadcasters. For all Evans achieved in subsequent years, this programme remains regarded by critics as his best television work.

In response to the falling ratings of the Radio 1 Breakfast Show, bosses decided to replace its presenters with the relatively unknown Kevin Greening and the well known children's presenter Zoe Ball. Their tenure was due to start on 13 October 1997.

Chris Evans, on the other hand, was hired by Virgin Radio to host its breakfast show from the same date, prompting an immediate upsurge in listening figures to the station. He initially, however, presented the show from Monday-Thursday only, starting at 7am. This was in contrast to the 6:30am start of the Radio 1 Breakfast show, which ran 5 days a week.

On 9 December that year, with the assistance of investors, he bought Virgin Radio from Richard Branson, for £85m, and formed the Ginger Media Group, to control the interests both of Ginger Productions and Virgin Radio.

During the last quarter of 1999, Evans ran separate quizzes on his radio show and on TFI Friday, both called Someone's Going To Be A Millionaire! (a reference to the very popular TV game show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire). The million-pound prize was awarded on radio on 17 December and on television on 24 December. These were the first million-pound prizes awarded on either medium in the UK. The distinction of being the first quizmaster to give away a million-pound prize is often erroneously ascribed to Chris Tarrant on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, however Evans was in fact first by more than ten months.

Both the Radio 1 breakfast show and its Virgin Radio successor introduced the audience to Evans' loyal production team, all of whom were encouraged to play speaking roles in the shows. This led to producer Dan McGrath & John Revell presenting the Virgin show during Evans' absence and researcher Holly Samos earning a contract to model bras

In April 1995 Evans joined BBC Radio 1 to host the flagship breakfast show, and significantly boosted the ratings which had declined considerably since the departure of Simon Mayo two years earlier. During his time at Radio 1, he began to make demands of the Radio 1 management, initially requesting that his show start later, at 7.00am rather than 6.30am. This request was accepted, though he later fell out with Radio 1 management over a number of issues and made on-air criticisms of Trevor Dann in particular.

His spell at the station ended in 1997 when he failed to turn up to work, following a long-running dispute over his demand to take Fridays off, in part to pursue commitments he had taken on as the host of Channel 4's TFI Friday programme, which had commenced in 1996.

The show - devised, produced and hosted by Evans - combined celebrity interviews, musical guests and daft games and competitions and was initially a big success during a period when anything Evans touched turned to gold. It ended in 2000 after viewing figures declined. Evans, in fact, did not host the last season and let guests take turns. The format remained the same.

His breakfast show was taken over by Mark & Lard a.k.a. Mark Radcliffe & Marc Riley. 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. Station management declined but did offer him a weekend slot, which he turned down.

On 14 March 2000, Ginger Media Group was sold to SMG plc, for £285m. Evans continued to host the station's breakfast show, however, until he was dismissed on June 28, 2001, for (again) repeatedly failing to arrive at work. Evans attempted to sue Virgin Radio, claiming that he was unfairly dismissed and denied share options worth £8.6m. The judgement in Evans v SMG Television Ltd. & Ors 2003 EWHC 1423 (Ch) (26 June 2003) is Justice Lightman found that he had been fairly dismissed and was not entitled to the share options. Evans was publicly criticised for his attitude by the judge. Virgin Radio countersued and Evans was ordered to pay £1m towards their legal costs.

Last Night 13th August 2007, Chris Evans was the presenter of the George Michael Documentary, filming him as he was preparing to do the Wembley Stadium Gig.
I was startled to see that he had traded in the trademark Ginger hair he was once so proud of and now has a blonde barnet which takes away from the character of the guy and makes him look very bland!!
Ah Well-we all live and learn.
The Gig was excellent by the way-George Looks fit and well and is very much back on form.