| Bill Buckley | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | William Buckley |
| Born | 8 January 1959 Birmingham, UK |
| Show | Bill Buckley |
| Style | Talk radio/Phone-in |
| Country | England |
| Previous show(s) | LBC 97.3; BBC Southern Counties Radio |
| Website | billbuckley.net |
Bill Buckley (born 8 January 1959 in Birmingham, United Kingdom) is a radio and television presenter. For three years, he was a co-presenter of BBC Television's consumer affairs programme That's Life!, and has presented shows on BBC Southern Counties Radio, BBC Radio Leicester, London talk radio station LBC 97.3 and BBC London 94.9.
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Buckley's broadcasting career began in 1982. While working as a newspaper reporter in his native West Midlands, he was chosen from thousands of hopefuls to present the consumer programme, That's Life!, on BBC1 with Esther Rantzen. His mother had entered him for the job without his knowing.
After three years, he left to become a reporter for the BBC's Holiday Programme, and spent the next six years traveling the world. Other TV appearances include Call My Bluff, Blankety Blank, All Star Secrets, Songs of Praise, Children in Need, and a variety of regional work in the south for Meridian Television on subjects as diverse as consumer affairs, politics and amateur film-making.
From 1989, he has also presented daily radio shows for numerous commercial and BBC stations in the South, London and Manchester.
Buckley's acting experience includes playing Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat at Leatherhead. He also toured in the black comedy Widow's Weeds, and starred in numerous pantomimes, playing King in Jack and the Beanstalk at the Theatre Royal, Brighton.
Beginning in 1997, Buckley was senior continuity announcer for Channel 5 Television from its launch for five-and-a-half years. He became well known for his commentary over the closing credits of the channel's late-night/early-morning run of Prisoner: Cell Block H, on which he read out viewers' letters and made comments about the episode just broadcast.
Buckley has also written a hit song. He provided both the words and music for Su Pollard's number two hit single, "Starting Together". Buckley regularly reviews the national press on “BBC Breakfast”, the BBC News Channel and Sky News.
Buckley filled in for many of LBC 97.3's presenters for several years and also regularly hosted a weekend night-time slot. In May 2007 his show shifted to Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings from 1.00 until 5.00am. Buckley began presenting LBC's Sunday Afternoon Food and Drink programme in January 2008.
Buckley announced that he was stepping down from the overnight show from early September 2009 due to the unsociable hours, but intended to continue his Sunday food and drink programme.[1] He presented what was scheduled to be his penultimate programme in the morning of Tuesday 8 September, with the intention of presenting his final programme the following morning. However, his photograph was removed from station's website on Tuesday, and it was announced that the overnight slot would be presented by someone else. His name was also removed from the Food and Drink show's description.
Since leaving LBC, Buckley has presented various programmes on BBC Local Radio, including many overnight shows on BBC Radio London 94.9FM. Over Christmas and New Year 2009-10, Buckley filled in on BBC Radio London and BBC Radios Solent, Sussex, Surrey, Kent, Berkshire and Oxford.[2] He presented the lunchtime show on BBC Radio Leicester, weekdays noon to 2pm, from 15 March 2010 until 17 September 2010. From January 2011 until September 2011, he was the host of BBC Berkshire's lunchtime slot showBuckley was also BBC London 94.9's food and drink correspondent, guesting every Wednesday night on Joanne Good's Late Show on BBC Radio until early 2011. He is currently a stand in presenter for various BBC Local radio stations such as BBC Berkshire, BBC London 94.9 and BBC Wiltshire.
In September 2005, Buckley appeared on Come Dine With Me. Buckley has previously cooked on the Carlton Food Network and live on Channel 5 on Open House with Gloria Hunniford. He has also appeared as a judge on three series of ITV1's Britain's Best Dish and UKTV Food's The People's Cookbook with Antony Worrall Thompson and Paul Rankin. He has been food editor of BBC Southern Counties magazine and was elected to the prestigious Guild of Food Writers. In 2008 Buckley replaced Loyd Grossman on Ten Minutes to Table, co-presenting with Xanthe Clay, for Telegraph TV. Buckley has judged the Academy of Chocolate Awards, Great Taste Awards and World Cheese Awards. Buckley is a restaurant reviewer for View London.[3]