Mike Dickin

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Mike Dickin

Mike Dickin
Born 28 September 1943
Reading, Berkshire, England, UK
Died 18 December 2006(2006-12-18) (aged 63)
Bodmin, Cornwall, England, UK
Show Talksport
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Robert Michael "Mike" Dickin (28 September 1943 – 18 December 2006), was a late-night host on the British radio station talkSPORT. Dickin used to present the 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. slot at weekends on Talk Radio UK from 1995 to 2001. He returned, filling in for James Whale during James's battle with kidney cancer. He was given the morning show slot soon afterwards, and then moved to the 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. show on weekends before his death. He was apparently known as "The King" by his fans, due to his resemblance to King Henry VIII, although this has been disputed, and he was certainly never called by this name on his radio show in recent times.

Born in 1943 in Reading, Berkshire, he started out as a musician in the 1960s, Dickin was a bass player and singer who found he preferred playing records to making them when he joined the BBC in 1970 as the first presenter on air at Radio Oxford.

In 1977, he competed in the London to Sydney Rally in a Mini 1275GT, co-driven by musician Simon Park. The same year, Dickin moved to Australia where he worked for Sydney's biggest radio station, 2UE. Upon returning to the UK in the late '70s, he spent 17 years working for BBC Radio 4, LBC, and Capital Radio. He started at Talksport (then Talk Radio UK) in 1995, taking over from Nick Miller.

Dickin was on air in the UK overnight when news of the car crash which subsequently killed Diana, Princess of Wales was broken, and he was still on air to make the announcement of her death as a newsflash. Audio of this broadcast can be heard from the external links section.

Dickin was famous for his strongly-held views. His passion led to him being labeled "Britain's angriest man" by talkSPORT listeners. Typical discussions on his show included crime, cars, trains, taxis, the problems of young people, the downfall of Britain, the incompetence of people in the service industry, speed cameras, parking tickets, and call centres. He was also known for his catchphrases, such as "My health is not in question" when asked how he was. Other catchphrases include: "If you were constipated, you'd be speechless", "I've had a gutful...", "You don't have two brain cells to rub together", "You couldn't make it up", and "If your brains were made of dynamite, there wouldn't be enough to blow your hat off". He also played on his image as a ladies' man. He liked Nicole from the Renault Clio adverts (in the late 1990s), and Diana, Princess of Wales.

A staunch atheist, Dickin's last show was all about the afterlife and the existence of God.

Mike Dickin was killed in a car crash while driving on the A30 near his home in Cornwall, on 18 December 2006, at the age of 63. Fellow talkSPORT presenter James Whale presented his tribute show. Mike left a wife (second marriage) and 5 children, including two from his first marriage.

External links

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