Who is Terry Wogan

In 2005, it was reported that the breakfast show Wake Up to Wogan was attracting audiences of eight million.

Then in April 2006, figures were leaked to British newspapers stating that Wogan was the highest paid BBC radio presenter at that time, with an £800,000 ($1.28m) a year salary. In an interview with Britain's Hello magazine in its 30 May 2006 issue, Wogan confirmed this was correct, saying:

The amount they said was true and I don't give a monkey's about people knowing it. Nor do I feel guilty. If you do the maths, factoring in my eight million listeners, I cost the BBC about 2p a fortnight. I think I'm cheap at the price.

Wogan is also widely credited with launching the career of singer Katie Melua after he repeatedly played her debut single, "The Closest Thing to Crazy", on his radio show Wake up to Wogan, in late 2003.

Katie Melua

When Katie Melua performed on Children in Need in 2005, Wogan jokingly said to her:

You owe it all to me, and maybe a little to your own talent

Wogan has, however, made no secret that the credit for discovering the singer should actually go to his long time radio show producer, Paul Walters.

On 7 September 2009, Wogan confirmed to his listeners that he would be leaving his breakfast show Wake Up To Wogan at the end of the year with Chris Evans taking over.

The Times published an ode to Terry:

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone. Terry Wogan is abandoning his microphone

Novelist Allison Pearson commented:

Heard the one about the Irishman who reminded the British of what they could be at their best? His name was Terry Wogan.

Sir Terry was given his own chat show Wogan, which after a trial run on a midweek evening, was rescheduled for broadcast on Saturday nights from 1982 to 1984. Between 1985 and 1992, the show was shown on three weekday evenings.

Memorable moments included interviews with George Best, who was very drunk, Chevy Chase who was unusually silent, Anne Bancroft who was so terrified she gave monosyllabic answers, Ronnie Barker who announced his retirement and David Icke who claimed to be the "Son of God" . Wogan said to Icke:

They're laughing at you - they're not laughing with you.

From 1971 to 1979, Wogan regularly provided the BBC's radio commentary for the Eurovision Song Contest. However, from 1980 until 2008, he provided the BBC's television commentary and became famous for his comments, which were extremely cynical and frequently poked fun at contestants and commentators alike.

In 1998, following the UK's victory in 1997, Wogan co-hosted the contest, live from Birmingham, with Ulrika Jonsson.

Wogan is completely unknown to the majority of television viewers across Europe, however, he is well-known to many veteran broadcasters across the continent, through his work on the Eurovision Song Contest. On 5 December 2008 Wogan announced he was stepping down from the role after 35 years.

Graham Norton succeeded Wogan. Norton said during his opening comments of the 2009 Contest:

I know, I miss Terry too.

Graham Norton
Buy from Allposters.com

The Children In Need album Bandaged Together, from which the single All You Need Is Love is taken, includes the talents of Bill Wyman, Brian May, Bryan Ferry, Lee Mead, Aled Jones, Cerys Matthews, Elaine Paige, Sharon Corr and Hayley Westerna and of course Terry Wogan.

To be released soon - module will be updated when the Album becomes available