Brian Widlake

Nigel Brian Windsor Widlake (13 April 1931 – 2 January 2017) was a British journalist, broadcaster and presenter.

Brian Widlake
Born
Nigel Brian Windsor Widlake

(1931-04-13)13 April 1931
Fiji
Died2 January 2017(2017-01-02) (aged 85)
Wiltshire
NationalityBritish
EducationColet Court School, London
St Paul's School, London
Alma materClare College, Cambridge
OccupationTV presenter, journalist, correspondent
EmployerBBC, LBC, ITN
Known forMain presenter, The World at One (BBC Radio 4)
Main co-presenter, PM, BBC Radio 4
Presenter, Main News, LBC
Main co-presenter, The Money Programme, BBC Two
Fmr. ITN correspondent
Spouse(s)Anne Nicholas (m. 1989)
ChildrenMark Nicholas (stepson)

Early life

Widlake was born in Fiji on 13 April 1931.[1]

Education

Widlake was educated at two independent schools for boys, at the time based in Hammersmith in West London: first at Colet Court School, now known as St Paul's Juniors, when, shortly after enrollment, he and others were evacuated to the village of Much Hadham in Hertfordshire in the early part of the Second World War, and then at St Paul's School, followed by Clare College, Cambridge.[1]

Life and career

Widlake served initially as a cadet before his promotion to 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Hampshire Regiment on 4 November 1950.

Widlake worked as a reporter for ITN in the 1960s,[2] and was a regular presenter of BBC Radio 4's news magazine programmes The World at One and PM during the 1970s and 1980s. Widlake joined London's news and talk radio station LBC to present a breakfast programme on LBC Crown FM, later LBC NewsTalk 97.3 in 1989. He then transferred to LBC's hour-long Midday News programme.

Widlake conducted Nelson Mandela's first ever televised interview in 1961. At the time, Mandela was on the run from the South African police. He also became well known for co-presenting The Money Programme on BBC 2 in the early 1980s with Valerie Singleton.

Widlake died, following a short illness, at home in Wiltshire on 2 January 2017, at the age of 85.[3][4][5]

Personal life

Widlake became the stepfather of the sports journalist, TV presenter and former cricketer Mark Nicholas, following his marriage to the actress Anne Nicholas in 1989.

References
  1. "Brian Widlake, broadcaster – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 16 January 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  2. Widlake, Brian (28 May 2010). "Nelson Mandela: the first call to arms". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 7 August 2010.
  3. "Former BBC radio presenter Brian Widlake dies". 2 January 2017.
  4. "Broadcaster Brian Widlake dies aged 85". BBC News. 2 January 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  5. "Former BBC radio presenter Brian Widlake dies aged 85". Irish Examiner. 2 January 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
Media offices
Preceded by
William Davis		 Main presenter: The World at One Succeeded by
David Jessel
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