SATURDAY MAGAZINE 69WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
THIS WEEK...
Listen to Pat Sharp on Greatest Hits Radio
every Saturday from 10am-1pm. Visit
greatesthitsradio.co.ukmade me realise you shouldn’t start at
Radio 1, you should work your way up.
‘I got a job on Radio Mercury and
became one of the first video jockeys
on Sky Channel. It was shown in 35
countries, so I was recognised in
airports all over Europe, yet no one
batted an eyelid at Heathrow.
‘I met my wife in 1984 at the first gig I ever
did in Norway. We got chatting and 33 years
later we’re still married and have three kids.
‘I finally realised my dream in 1987
when the new boss of Capital radio
offered me a job. I spent nine
happy years there.
‘I also pretended to be a pop
star when I was asked to team
up with fellow presenter Mick
Brown and make some covers
of Stock Aitken Waterman hits
for Capital’s Help A London
Child charity. In the recording
studio Pete Waterman said to me,
“Stand back a bit from the microphone, your
voice isn’t great.” I said, “How far back?” to
which Pete replied, “Edinburgh!”
‘Bizarrely, we had about six hits and raised
£300,000 for charity. We even performed on Top
Of The Pops. I’d forget the lyrics and do a twirl
in the hope the cameras didn’t catch me out.‘There were tears when I left Capital in- But as one door shuts, another opens,
and I went to Heart and Smooth Radio and
also made the kids’ TV messy game show Fun
House from 1989-99. I’m about to launch an
adult version of it in cities across the UK.
‘I’ve had so many career highlights – going
on I’m A Celeb in 2011 was brilliant and gave
us new best friends. Monica met Mark Wright’s
parents in the Versace hotel while I was in the
jungle. We holiday every year with them now.
I was the support act for the Bros reunion gigs
and was honoured when Ant and Dec asked
me to DJ at their 40th birthday bash.
‘Radio’s still my obsession and I’m thrilled
to be on Greatest Hits Radio. I’m lucky that,
four decades on, I’m still riding the crest of the
Eighties nostalgia wave and am busier now
than I’ve ever been. Life’s good.”
l h ld’Words by: Rebecca Fletcher & Kirsten Jones Pictures: Shutterstock; Getty Images
Pat Sharp
Must see Kevin Costner lends his voice to
golden retriever Enzo in The Art Of Racing In The
Rain. The adopted dog recalls the lessons he has
learnt in his life with
a racing-car driver.
Starring Amanda
Seyfried, the
heartwarming film
is in cinemas now.Must read In 1970s Kent,
a mother pores over her daughter’s
diary. Jealous of Sarah’s exciting future,
Marion takes action with
terrible consequences.
An emotional read with
humour and heartbreak
in equal measure, How
It Was by Janet Ellis
(£14.99, Two Roads)
is out now.‘I went
from
the highs
of Radio 1 to
washing my
car. It was
devastating’His mullet
was a
hit in the
Eighties‘Radio has always been my passion. Like many
teenagers, I made mix tapes of the charts in my
bedroom, but while my mates would cut out
the DJ and just have the music, I’d cut out the
songs to get the chat and all the jingles.
‘When I was about 14, I bought a cassette
recorder that allowed me to turn down the
music and record my voice over the top, so it
sounded as if I was introducing the songs like
a proper DJ. I thought it was the best thing ever.
‘At 17 I got myself a mobile disco and started
gigging at parties and weddings. One
night, a guy suggested I try my luck
in Germany where there were lots
of nightclubs. I filled the boot of
my Ford Cortina with records,
booked a ferry and drove to a
small town near Cologne. I got
a gig in a nightclub, which was
a great training ground. I made
a demo tape, sent it to a UK agent
and in 1982 he gave it to Radio 1
and they asked me to do a week’s
holiday cover for Steve Wright’s afternoon show.
‘A few weeks later they offered me my own
Sunday morning show and I started presenting
Top Of The Pops on TV. My radio show only
lasted 10 months and then I went into a bit of
a downward spiral. It was devastating – I’d gone
from the highs of Radio 1 to washing my car. ItMust
do
Musicals
and movies
are playing
at the open-air cinema at Dreamland in
Margate. The Kent-based amusement
park is showing singalong and family
friendly films for free until September.
Visit dreamland.co.uk to find out more.H
is radio career has spanned 37 years, during
which time Pat has had stints on Radio 1,
Heart and Capital FM. Well-known for his
mullet hairstyle, he also hosted Top Of The
Pops in the Eighties and the ITV children’s show
Fun House. Pat, now 57, lives in Hertfordshire with
his wife, Monica, and has three children, Nicci, 32,
Daniel, 29, and Charlotte, 27. He now presents the
Saturday morning show on Greatest Hits Radio.