Terry Wogan

One of Britain's best-loved broadcasters, Sir Terry Wogan hosted Europe's most listened-to radio show, long-running telethon "Children Need" (BBC One, 1980-) and a successful eponymous chat show, but was perhaps best-known for his brilliantly sardonic commentary on the Eurovision Song Contest. Born in Limerick City, Ireland, Wogan began his showbiz career as a newsreader for radio station RTE before moving to its light entertainment department where he hosted popular TV quiz show "Jackpot" (Telefis Eireann, 1962-65) and enjoyed his first stint as a DJ. Wogan's long-running affiliation with the BBC started in 1966 with a stint on the "Light Programme" (BBC Radio, 1945-1967), which led to a regular afternoon show on the newly-launched BBC Radio 1. But Wogan found his natural home when he moved over to BBC Radio 2's breakfast show in 1972, a slot he held for the next 12 years, with audiences of nearly eight million regularly tuning in to his famously acerbic and rambling style. By the end of the decade Wogan had also forged a thriving TV career with hosting gigs on ballroom dancing contest "Come Dancing" (BBC One, 1949-1998) and comedic quiz show "Blankety Blank" (BBC One, 1979-1990), while his wry commentary on the Eurovision Song Contest helped to turn the often-ridiculed event into a must-watch, even for those averse to unashamedly kitsch European pop. Wogan consolidated his status as a national treasure when he was appointed the regular host of annual telethon "Children in Need" (BBC One, 1980-). And two years later, he also became a prime-time staple with weeknight chat show "Wogan" (BBC One, 1982-1992). Wogan then returned to BBC Radio 2's breakfast programme in 1993 and picked up where he left off, attracting the biggest listenership in European radio with his mix of jovial banter, audience interaction and easy-listening music, including Katie Melua and Eva Cassidy, two artists whose careers he was hugely instrumental in launching. During the '90s, Wogan also landed long-running gigs on bloopers show "Auntie's Bloomers" (BBC One, 1991-2001) and feedback program "Points of View" (BBC One, 1961-), and also co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest itself when it headed to Birmingham in 1998. After calling time on his breakfast slot and Eurovision jobs in the late '00s, Wogan added Sunday morning radio show "Weekend Wogan" (BBC Radio 2, 2010-15) to his list of successes and remained a regular on-screen presence right up until his death from cancer at the age of 77 in early 2016.