You’ve been recognised by BAFTA and you’re a fellow of the RTS. I wondered, what does that mean to you, that kind of recognition by your peers?
Special. I think, upon reflection some years later, the BAFTA for one of the Up programmes, when it was presented to me, it was presented to me by Michael Parkinson. Michael had worked for Granada in the sixties and in fact I did quite a lot of work with him all around, in Ireland, in Yorkshire, and even in Manchester. In fact, he nicknamed me Garth because we used to have this bloody great big battery and things and I used to have to carry them. And we talked about the microphone down the trouser leg, and so you’d do backwards walks for a piece to camera, so why my arms aren’t where my feet are, I don’t know, but anyway. So he nicknamed me Garth. And when they were reading it all out, and there were four other people, he opened the envelope and he just went, “Hmm.” And I knew at that moment I’d won. And it was a fantastic experience. I suppose that’s part of how I am. So it meant something very special to me to be recognised because I never thought anything like that would happen.
The fellowship for the RTS, in a different way, is also very special because I had no idea at all about that. I didn’t know that I’d been nominated for that, for the RTS one. And I just got an envelope, which again, however that’s come about, is extremely special. Because I’ve done some research since, and there’s a lot of very well-known names that have been awarded the RTS fellowship, that have been in charge of television stations and presenters and all those kinds of things. And there’s little old humble me, a little lad from Southport. So it’s very special. And I’ve got one each: one for my son and one for my daughter.
