32 Facts About Brian Johnston

Brian Johnston was most prominently associated with the BBC during a career which lasted from 1946 until his death in January 1994.

Brian Alexander Johnston was born on Monday, 24 June 1912 at the Old Rectory, Little Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, the youngest of four children.

Brian Johnston was educated at Temple Grove Preparatory School and then at Eton, where he played cricket for the school's 2nd XI.

Brian Johnston subsequently went on to New College, Oxford, where he graduated with a third in History in 1934.

In September 1939, Brian Johnston joined the 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards, and was sent for officer training to the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.

Brian Johnston remained stationed in the United Kingdom until the invasion of Europe in the summer of 1944, when his battalion landed at Arromanches on the Normandy coast some three weeks after D Day.

Brian Johnston was later awarded the Military Cross in 1946 for his actions as technical adjutant after the battalion crossed the Rhine.

Brian Johnston joined the BBC in January 1946 and began his cricket commentating career at Lord's for BBC Television in June 1946 at the England v India Test match.

Between 1948 and 1952, Brian Johnston presented a live broadcast segment Let's Go Somewhere as part of the Saturday night radio series In Town Tonight.

Brian Johnston was part of the radio commentating team for major state occasions such as the funeral of King George VI in 1952, the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, the Sovereign's annual birthday parade, the annual El Alamein reunion and in due course the royal weddings of Princess Margaret, Princess Anne and the Prince of Wales.

Brian Johnston appeared on other radio programmes such as Sporting Chance, Treble Chance, Twenty Questions, Married To Fame, Hancock's Half Hour and occasionally as an outside broadcast interviewer for the Today programme.

Brian Johnston became a regular member of the TV commentary team and, in addition, became BBC cricket correspondent in 1963.

In 1970 Brian Johnston was dropped from the TV commentary team and he retired from the BBC two years later on his sixtieth birthday.

Brian Johnston was responsible for a number of the TMS traditions, including the creation, often using the so-called Oxford "-er", of the nicknames of fellow commentators.

Brian Johnston once complained on air that he had missed his cake at tea during one match, and he was inundated with cakes from listeners.

Brian Johnston went on to host a further ten editions before leaving to commence his last full-time summer as the BBC cricket correspondent.

Brian Johnston was then contracted in a freelance capacity to host Down Your Way on a permanent basis since four other hosts trialled over the summer had proved to be less popular than him.

Brian Johnston went on to present this programme for 15 years before bowing out on his 733rd show in May 1987 just before his 75th birthday.

Brian Johnston was renowned for his on-air schoolboy humour and puns.

Brian Johnston carried on commentating and giggling for 30 seconds before dissolving into helpless laughter.

Brian Johnston is reputed to have said "The bowler's Holding; the batsman's Willey" while commentating, which supposedly occurred when Michael Holding of the West Indies was bowling to Peter Willey of England in a Test match at The Oval in 1976.

Henry Blofeld and former TMS Producer Peter Baxter have said that Brian Johnston is unlikely to have said it, noting that attempts were made to find the recording to play at Brian Johnston's funeral, but these were unsuccessful.

Brian Johnston had disagreements with John Arlott who backed the boycotts.

Brian Johnston variously presented and participated in a wide range of BBC radio and television programmes.

Brian Johnston was one of the presenters of the Channel 4 magazine programme for the over sixties for several years Years Ahead along with Robert Dougall, Zena Skinner and Paul Lewis.

Brian Johnston appeared as himself in the 1952 British film Derby Day.

Brian Johnston was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1982 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews in London's Sloane Square.

Brian Johnston was a great fan of the British Music Hall and revelled in its often mildly risque "schoolboy humour".

On 22 April 1948 Brian Johnston married Pauline Tozer, sister of his former army colleague Gordon.

Brian Johnston's youngest daughter, Joanna, was born with Down's syndrome.

Brian Johnston was appointed OBE in 1983 and CBE in 1991.

Brian Johnston died on 5 January 1994, at the King Edward VII Hospital for Officers in Marylebone, London, having been admitted the previous day.