Bob Holness

Bob Holness (born 12 November 1928 in Vryheid, Natal, South Africa) is an English actor and presenter. Shortly after his birth in South Africa he moved to Ashford, Kent in the UK with his parents. After attending Ashford Grammar School and Maidstone College of Art, he then worked for a printing company before returning to South Africa. In 1955, he got his first job as a radio presenter.

Broadcasting career

In 1956, he starred in a South African radio adaptation of Moonraker, making him only the second actor to portray James Bond (Barry Nelson played 'Jimmy Bond' in a 1954 adaptation of Casino Royale). He subsequently presented a regular show on Radio Luxembourg.

Holness joined the BBC as a presenter on Late Night Extra, initially on the BBC Light Programme and later on BBC Radio 1 and 2, presenting alongside people like Terry Wogan, Michael Parkinson and Keith Fordyce. From 1971, the show was broadcast solely on Radio 2.

Between 1975 and 1985 he was co-presenter with Douglas Cameron of the AM Programme on London's LBC radio station. He originally joined the station as an airborne traffic reporter. He won the Variety Club Award for 'Joint Independent Radio Personality of the Year' in both 1979 and 1984.

Between 1985 and 1997, he returned to Radio 2 presenting many shows including Bob Holness Requests the Pleasure and Bob Holness and Friends, as well as covering various weekday shows for holidaying presenters. Until 1998 he also presented the request programme Anything Goes on BBC World Service.

Holness was the subject of an urban myth, initiated by broadcaster Stuart Maconie who, while writing for the New Musical Express, claimed that Holness played the saxophone solo on Gerry Rafferty's song "Baker Street". The true performer was Raphael Ravenscroft. Maconie may have been inspired by the fact that BlockBusters' 1987 American incarnation was hosted by Bill Rafferty. The story clearly appealed to Holness' sense of humour as he has often played along with the myth, and has also at various times jokingly claimed to be the lead guitarist on Derek and the Dominoes' Layla and the mysterious individual putting Elvis Presley off his stride on the famous 'laughing' version of Are You Lonesome Tonight?.

Television career

In 1961 Holness became the host of UK game show Take a Letter, and in the 1980s and early 1990s he presented the British version of Blockbusters, for which he is most famous.

In autumn 1995 he hosted Yorkshire Television's big-budget gameshow flop Raise the Roof before becoming the chairman of a revived Call My Bluff on the BBC.

He appeared on Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway in 2004 in one show, which he presented the last round of Ant and Dec's Blockbusters stint, and Ant was a contestant. He appeared to be losing his memory whilst presenting, but it was just a joke as part of the act.

He has been said to have composed the tune for a series of television ads for R Whites Lemonade, featuring "A secret lemonade drinker". This was actually written by Ross MacManus, father of Elvis Costello.

Holness now lives in Pinner, London.