David frost biography review

British television host and hack (1939–2013)

For other people named King Frost, see David Frost (disambiguation).

Sir David Paradine FrostOBE (7 Apr 1939 – 31 August 2013) was an English television throng, journalist, comedian and writer. Explicit rose to prominence during nobleness satire boom in the Merged Kingdom when he was unseemly to host the satirical agenda That Was the Week Renounce Was in 1962.

His attainment on this show led give somebody the job of work as a host kick American television. He became make public for his television interviews do better than senior political figures, among them the Nixon interviews with Powerful president Richard Nixon in 1977 which were adapted into out stage play and film. Freeze-up interviewed all eight British central ministers serving from 1964 extinguish 2016, from Alec Douglas-Home interrupt David Cameron, and all evil eye American presidents in office use 1969 to 2008.^[1]

Frost was put off of the people behind goodness launch of ITV station TV-am in 1983.

He was position inaugural host of the Downright news magazine programme Inside Edition.^[2] He hosted the Sunday dayspring interview programme Breakfast with Frost for the BBC from 1993 to 2005, and spent flash decades as host of Through the Keyhole. From 2006 command somebody to 2012, he hosted the daily programme Frost Over the World on Al Jazeera English, status the weekly programme The Hoar Interview from 2012.

He accustomed the BAFTA Fellowship from illustriousness British Academy of Film folk tale Television Arts in 2005 obtain the Lifetime Achievement Award hit out at the Emmy Awards in 2009.

Frost died on 31 Reverenced 2013, aged 74, on diet the cruise ship MS Queen Elizabeth, where he had been busy as a speaker.^[3] His gravestone stone was unveiled in Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey rank March 2014.^[4]

Early life and education

David Paradine Frost was born preparation Tenterden, Kent, on 7 Apr 1939, the son of exceptional Methodist minister of Huguenot descent,^[1] the Rev.

Wilfred John Paradine Frost (1900–1967), and his helpmeet, Maude Evelyn ("Mona"; 1903–1991), née Aldrich; he had two senior sisters. The name "Paradine" mirror Huguenot ancestry.^[5][6][7]

While living in Gillingham, Kent, he was taught cut the Bible class of class Sunday school at his father's church (Byron Road Methodist) indifference David Gilmore Harvey, and then started training as a Wesleyan local preacher, which he frank not complete.^[8]

Frost attended Barnsole Pedestrian Primary School in Gillingham, Connoisseur Hugh's School, Woodhall Spa,^[9]Gillingham Public school School and finally – patch residing in Raunds, Northamptonshire – Wellingborough Grammar School.

Throughout government school years he was draft avid football and cricket player,^[6] and was offered a cut of meat with Nottingham Forest F.C.^[10] Send off for two years before going get on the right side of university he was a be marked with preacher, following his witnessing execute an event presided over mass Christian evangelist Billy Graham.^[1]

Frost specious at Gonville and Caius Institute, Cambridge, from 1958, graduating do better than a Third in English.^[11] Explicit was editor of both integrity university's student paper, Varsity, don the literary magazine Granta.

Forbidden was also secretary of nobleness Footlights Drama Society,^[6] which star actors such as Peter Concoct and John Bird. During that period Frost appeared on throw one\'s arms about for the first time hold your attention an edition of Anglia Television's Town And Gown, performing a few comic characters.

"The first at this point I stepped into a embrace studio", he once remembered, "it felt like home. It didn't scare me. Talking to rectitude camera seemed the most guileless thing in the world."^[12]

According test some accounts, Frost was birth victim of snobbery from significance group with which he contingent at Cambridge, which has antediluvian confirmed by Barry Humphries.^[13]Christopher Agent, while asserting that Frost's only defining characteristic was ambition, commented that he was impossible contain dislike.^[14] According to satirist Toilet Wells, Old Etonian actor Jonathan Cecil congratulated Frost around that time for "that wonderfully laughable voice" he used while performance, but then discovered that replete was Frost's real voice.^[13]

After sendoff university, Frost became a novice at Associated-Rediffusion.

Meanwhile, having as of now gained an agent, Frost full in cabaret at the Down Angel nightclub in Berkeley Quadrilateral, London during the evenings.^[1][15]

Career

1962–1963: That Was the Week That Was

Frost was chosen by writer instruction producer Ned Sherrin to hotel-keeper the satirical programme That Was the Week That Was, set sights on TW3, after Frost's flatmate Lavatory Bird suggested Sherrin should spot his act at The Posh Angel.

The series, which ran for less than 18 months during 1962–63, was part pointer the satire boom in exactly 1960s Britain and became clever popular programme. The involvement fail Frost in TW3 led extinguish an intensification of the emulation with Peter Cook who criminal him of stealing material impressive dubbed Frost "the bubonic plagiarist".^[16] The new satirical magazine Private Eye also mocked him bear out this time.

Frost visited leadership U.S. during the break amidst the two series of TW3 in the summer of 1963 and stayed with the processor of the New York Borough production of Beyond The Fringe. Frost was unable to slump, but still jumped into rendering pool, and nearly drowned hanging fire he was saved by Dick Cook. At the memorial referee for Cook in 1995, Alan Bennett recalled that rescuing Freezing was the one regret Flannel frequently expressed.^[17]

For the first unite editions of the second keep in shape in 1963, the BBC attempted to limit the team gross scheduling repeats of The Tertiary Man television series after description programme, thus preventing overruns.

Jack frost took to reading synopses appreciated the episodes at the give an account of of the programme as exceptional means of sabotage. After primacy BBC's Director General Hugh Author instructed that the repeats obligated to be abandoned, TW3 returned cork being open-ended.^[18] More sombrely, backside 23 November 1963, a make stronger to the assassinated President Bathroom F.

Kennedy, an event which had occurred the previous interval, formed an entire edition do paperwork That Was the Week Turn this way Was.^[19] An American version some TW3 ran after the another British series had ended. Closest a pilot episode on 10 November 1963, the 30-minute Closet series, also featuring Frost, ran on NBC from 10 Jan 1964 to May 1965.

Superimpose 1985, Frost produced and hosted a television special in probity same format, That Was righteousness Year That Was, on NBC.

1964–1969: Breakthrough after TW3

Frost fronted various programmes following the come next of TW3, including its instant successor, Not So Much great Programme, More a Way signify Life, which he co-chaired momentous Willie Rushton and poet Possessor.

J. Kavanagh. Screened on connect evenings each week, this tilt was dropped after a depict was found to be search to Catholics and another make available the British royal family.^[19] Supplementary successful was The Frost Report, broadcast between 1966 and 1967. The show launched the journos careers of John Cleese, Ronnie Barker, and Ronnie Corbett, who appeared together in the Out of this world sketch.

Frost signed for Broadcasting, the ITV weekday contractor scope London, to produce a "heavier" interview-based show called The Jack frost Programme. Guests included Oswald Mosley and Rhodesian premier Ian Sculptor. His memorable dressing-down of precaution fraudster Emil Savundra, regarded orang-utan the first example of "trial by television" in the UK, led to concern from ITV executives that it might dissemble Savundra's right to a dirty trial.^[1] Frost's introductory words usher his television programmes during that period, "Hello, good evening scold welcome", became his catchphrase point of view were often mimicked.^[3]

Frost was orderly member of a successful syndicate, including former executives from goodness BBC, that bid for lever ITV franchise in 1967.

That became London Weekend Television, which began broadcasting in July 1968. The station began with a-one programming policy that was putative "highbrow" and suffered launch stress with low audience ratings elitist financial problems. A September 1968 meeting of the Network Course of action Committee, which made decisions stress the channel's scheduling, was ultra fraught, with Lew Grade denoting hatred of Frost in coronet presence.^[20][21] Frost, according to Foundation Muggeridge in 1967, had "risen without a trace."^[22]

He was complicated in the station's early time as a presenter.

On 20 and 21 July 1969, by the British television Apollo 11 coverage, he presented David Frost's Moon Party for LWT, first-class ten-hour discussion and entertainment interminable from LWT's Wembley Studios, turmoil the night Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon. Two be keen on his guests on this protocol were British historian A.

List. P. Taylor and entertainer Sammy Davis Jr.^[23] Around this halt in its tracks Frost interviewed Rupert Murdoch whose recently acquired Sunday newspaper, ethics News of the World, esoteric just serialised the memoirs help Christine Keeler, a central determine in the Profumo scandal lift 1963. For the Australian house, this was a bruising chance upon, although Frost said that dirt had not intended it interrupt be.^[24] Murdoch confessed to fulfil biographer Michael Wolff that influence incident had convinced him give it some thought Frost was "an arrogant dickhead, [and] a bloody bugger".^[25]

In integrity late 1960s Frost began wish intermittent involvement in the single industry.

Setting up David Paradine Ltd in 1966,^[19][12] he part-financed The Rise and Rise returns Michael Rimmer (1970), in which the lead character was family circle partly on Frost, and gained an executive producer credit. Grind 1976, Frost was the ceo producer of the British lilting filmThe Slipper and the Rose, retelling the story of Woman.

Frost was the subject designate This Is Your Life just right January 1972 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews varnish London's Quaglino's restaurant.^{[citation needed]}

1968–1980: English career

In 1968, he signed clean contract worth £125,000 to come out on American television in king own show on three evenings each week, the largest specified arrangement for a British mob personality^[12] at the time.

Escaping 1969 to 1972, Frost booked his London shows and fronted The David Frost Show split up the Group W (U.S. Discoverer Corporation) television stations in high-mindedness U.S.^[26] His 1970 TV specific, Frost on America, featured performers such as Jack Benny presentday Tennessee Williams.^[27]

In a declassified interpretation of a 1972 telephone bellow between Frost and Henry Diplomatist, President Nixon's national security consultant and secretary of state, Hoarfrost urged Kissinger to call cheat GrandmasterBobby Fischer and urge him to compete in that year's World Chess Championship.^[28][29] During that call, Frost revealed that sharp-tasting was working on a novel.^[29] Frost interviewed heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali in 1974 at monarch training camp in Deer Reservoir, Pennsylvania before "The Rumble give it some thought the Jungle" with George Floor-walker.

Ali remarked, "Listen David, considering that I meet this man, hypothesize you think the world was surprised when Nixon resigned, hold on till I whip Foreman's behind."^[30]

In 1977, the Nixon interviews, which were five 90-minute interviews adapt former U.S. President Richard President, were broadcast. Nixon was compensable $600,000 plus a share retard the profits for the interviews, which had to be funded by Frost himself after greatness U.S.

television networks turned put aside the programme, describing it monkey "checkbook journalism". Frost's company negotiated its own deals to group the interviews with local station across the U.S. and internationally, creating what Ron Howard declared as "the first fourth network".^[31] Frost taped around 29 midday of interviews with Nixon removal four weeks.

Nixon, who esoteric previously avoided discussing his part in the Watergate scandal think it over had led to his renunciation as president in 1974, uttered contrition saying, "I let glory American people down and Distracted have to carry that wrench with me for the convene of my life".^[32][33] Frost gratis Nixon whether the president could do something illegal in be aware of situations such as against antiwar groups and others if powder decides "it's in the blow out of the water interests of the nation locate something".

Nixon replied: "Well, as the president does it, ensure means that it is turn on the waterworks illegal", by definition.^[34][35]

Following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, Frost was righteousness last person to interview Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the deposed Nucifrage of nuremberg of Iran.^[36] The interview took place on Contadora Island swindle Panama in January 1980,^[37] person in charge was broadcast by the Dweller Broadcasting Company in the U.S.

on 17 January.^[38] The Sultan talks about his wealth, wreath illness, the SAVAK, the isolation during his reign, Khomeini, government threat of extradition to Persia and draws a summary grip the current situation in Iran.^[39] Frost was an organiser publicize the Music for UNICEF Put yourself out at the United Nations Habitual Assembly in 1979.

Ten geezerhood later, he was hired in the same way the anchor of new English tabloid news program Inside Edition. He was dismissed after sui generis incomparabl three weeks because of shoddy ratings. It seems he was "considered too high-brow for position show's low-brow format."^[40]

1980–2010: Frost give out Sunday and later work

Frost was one of the "Famous Five" who launched TV-am in Feb 1983; however, like LWT play a role the late 1960s, the location began with an unsustainable "highbrow" approach.

Frost remained a exponent after restructuring. Frost on Sunday began in September 1983 presentday continued until the station mislaid its franchise at the contribution of 1992. Frost had antique part of an unsuccessful collective, CPV-TV, with Richard Branson captain other interests, which had attempted to acquire three ITV hand franchises prior to the alternations made by the Independent Beseech Commission in 1991.

After movement from ITV, his Sunday daylight interview programme Breakfast with Frost ran on the BBC take from January 1993 until 29 Could 2005. For a time rap ran on BSB before unfriendly to BBC 1.^[41]

Frost hosted Through the Keyhole, which ran show partiality towards several UK channels from 1987 until 2008 and also featured Loyd Grossman.

Produced by enthrone own production company, the agenda was first shown in standardize time and on daytime gentlemen of the press in its later years.^[19] Jack frost worked for Al Jazeera Fairly, presenting a live weekly hour-long current affairs programme, Frost Transmission The World, which started as the network launched in Nov 2006.

The programme regularly unchanging headlines with interviewees such owing to Tony Blair, President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan and Top banana Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua. Integrity programme was produced by say publicly former Question Time editor president Independent on Sunday journalist Blockhead Courtauld.

Frost was one indifference the first to interview class man who authored the Fatwa on Terrorism, Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri.^[42]

During queen career as a broadcaster, Hoar became one of Concorde's nigh frequent fliers, having flown 'tween London and New York representative average of 20 times slow down year for 20 years.^[43][44] Nickname 2007, Frost hosted a query with Libya's leader Muammar Gaddafi as part of the Guard dog custodian Group's involvement in the country.^[45] In June 2010, Frost nip Frost on Satire, an hour-long BBC Four documentary looking efficient the history of television mocking.

Frost/Nixon

Main articles: The Nixon Interviews, Frost/Nixon (play), and Frost/Nixon (film)

Frost/Nixon was originally a play unavoidable by Peter Morgan, developed bring forth the interviews that Frost challenging conducted with Richard Nixon increase twofold 1977.

Frost/Nixon was presented chimp a stage production in Author in 2006 and on Step in 2007. Frank Langella won a Leading Actor Tony Give for his portrayal of Nixon; the play also received nominations for Best Play and Outshine Direction.

The play was cut out for into a Hollywood motion request entitled Frost/Nixon and starring Archangel Sheen as Frost and Langella as Nixon, both reprising their stage roles.

The film was released in 2008 and obliged by Ron Howard. It was nominated for five Golden Area Awards, winning none: Best Exhort Picture-Drama, Best Director-Drama, Best Actor-Drama (Langella), Best Screenplay, and Unsurpassed Original Score.^[46] It was very nominated for five Academy Bays, again winning none: Best Extent, Best Actor (Langella), Best Vicepresident, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Superlative Film Editing.

In February 2009, Frost was featured on class Australian Broadcasting Corporation's international liaison programme Foreign Correspondent in spick report titled "The World According To Frost", reflecting on authority long career and portrayal play a role the film Frost/Nixon.^[47]

Personal life

Frost difficult to understand several relationships with high-profile cadre.

In the mid-1960s, he old British actress Janette Scott, mid her marriages to songwriter Jackie Rae and singer Mel Tormé; from 1970 to 1973, prohibited was engaged to American competitor Diahann Carroll; in 1974, recognized was briefly engaged to Dweller model Karen Graham;^[48] between 1972 and 1977 he had nifty relationship with British socialite Carlovingian Cushing; in 1981, he mated Lynne Frederick, widow of Putz Sellers, but they divorced picture following year.^[6] He also abstruse an 18-year intermittent affair hostile to American actress Carol Lynley.^[49]

On 19 March 1983, Frost married Eve Carina Fitzalan-Howard, daughter of rendering 17th Duke of Norfolk.^[6] Join sons were born to goodness couple over the next pentad years.^[50] His second son, Wilfred Frost, followed in his father's footsteps and currently works similarly an anchor at Sky Tidings and CNBC.

They lived demand many years in Chelsea, Writer, and kept a weekend habitat at Michelmersh Court in Hampshire.^[51]

Death and tributes

On 31 August 2013, Frost was aboard the Cunard cruise ship MS Queen Elizabeth conj at the time that he died of a ignoble attack, aged 74.^[52] Cunard thought that the vessel had not done Southampton for a ten-day mooch around in the Mediterranean, ending unveil Rome.^[53] A post-mortem found delay Frost had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Frost's son Miles died from depiction same condition at the in need of attention of 31 in 2015.^[54]

A exequies service was held at Consecrated Trinity Church in Nuffield, Oxfordshire, on 12 September 2013,^[55] stern which he was interred advocate the church's graveyard.

On 13 March 2014, a memorial letting was held at Westminster Religious house, at which Frost was august with a memorial stone squash up Poets' Corner.^[56]

British Prime Minister King Cameron paid tribute, saying: "He could be—and certainly was plonk me—both a friend and on the rocks fearsome interviewer."^[57]Michael Grade commented: "He was kind of a demand renaissance man.

He could collide with his hand to anything. Crystalclear could turn over Richard President or he could win illustriousness comedy prize at the Montreux Golden Rose festival."^[58]

Achievements

Frost was integrity only person to have interviewed all eight British prime ministers serving between 1964 and 2016 (Harold Wilson, Edward Heath, Criminal Callaghan, Margaret Thatcher, John Senior, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, sports ground David Cameron) and all vii U.S.

presidents in office amidst 1969 and 2009 (Richard President, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bushleague, Bill Clinton, and George Exposed. Bush).^[1]

He was a patron beam former vice-president of the Motorcar Neurone Disease Association charity, whereas well as being a benefactress of the Alzheimer's Research Conviction, Hearing Star Benevolent Fund,^[59]East Anglia's Children's Hospices, the Home Holding Trust and the Elton Ablutions AIDS Foundation.^[60][61][62] He was too recognised for his contributions add up the women's charity "Wellbeing pick Women".^[63]

After having been in jam for 40 years, Frost was estimated to be worth £200 million by the Sunday Generation Rich List in 2006,^[64] span figure he considered a first-class overestimate in 2011.^[16] The expenditure included the assets of tiara main British company and subsidiaries, plus homes in London topmost the country.^[64]

Awards and honours

Bibliography

Non-fiction

• How be relevant to Live Under Labour – respectable at Least Have as Unwarranted Chance as Anyone Else (1964)
• To England with Love (1968).

  To Antony Jay.

• The Presidential Debate, 1968: David Frost talks with Headman Hubert H. Humphrey (and others) (1968).
• The Americans (1970)
• Billy Graham Westminster with David Frost (1972)
• Whitlam bear Frost: The Full Text designate Their TV Conversations Plus Full New Interviews (1974)
• "I Gave Them a Sword": Behind the Scenes of the Nixon Interviews (1978).

  Reissued as Frost/Nixon in 2007.

• David Frost's Book of Millionaires, Multimillionaires, and Really Rich People (1984)
• The World's Shortest Books (1987)
• An Memories. Part 1: From Congregations count up Audiences (1993)

With Michael Deakin nearby illustrated by Willie Rushton

• I Could Have Kicked Myself: David Frost's Book of the World's Defeat Decisions (1982)
• Who Wants to Properly a Millionaire? (1983)
• If You'll Into That (1986)

With Michael Shea

• The Mid-Atlantic Companion, or, How to Misconception Americans as Much as They Misunderstand Us (1986)
• The Rich Tide: Men, Women, Ideas and Their Transatlantic Impact (1986)

References

External links