He was educated at Merton College, Oxford, reputedly being one of the last generation of undergraduates to be awarded a fourth class degree. He was notable as anchorman of the BBC's Saturday afternoon sports programme, Grandstand, and went on to present the early evening news programme, ''Nationwide. He was a roving holidaymaker in the BBC's Holiday programme; and co-presenter of the BBC's first serving of breakfast television, called Breakfast Time.
In the early 1990s he was a presenter on London's LBC radio, staying on for the launch of London News Talk and moving to the News 97.3 service where he remained until 1996.
He has also made headlines after being found in a S&M brothel in 1992, and after having a liver transplant in 2001.