# David Hamilton (broadcaster)

David Hamilton (born David Pilditch; 10 September 1938) is an English radio and television presenter.
Since his broadcasting career began in 1959, Hamilton has hosted over 12,000 radio shows and more than 1,000 television shows. He is often known as 'Diddy David Hamilton', a name given to him by the comedian Ken Dodd.

## Early life

Hamilton was born in Manchester and attended Glastonbury Road Grammar School at St Helier in Surrey until the age of 17. While at school he became a columnist on the weekly national magazine Soccer Star. He performed national service in the Royal Air Force from 1959.

## Television career

On leaving school, Hamilton became a script-writer for the TV series Portrait of a Star.
Following his national service, he became an in-vision television announcer for ABC Weekend TV based in Didsbury, Manchester, and appeared with close friend Ken Dodd in the TV series Doddy's Music Box, acquiring the nickname 'Diddy'. Throughout the 1960s, he hosted shows for the ITV franchises Tyne Tees, Anglia and Westward.
When ABC closed down in 1968, he transferred to its successor company Thames Television as an announcer, subsequently hosting many shows for them including Miss TV Times, TV Times Gala Awards, The World Disco Dance Championships, as well as many outside broadcasts, circus and sports shows. He appeared alongside comedians Benny Hill and Tommy Cooper and hosted Thames TV's showcase weeks on television in New York City and Los Angeles. Later he hosted ATV's Saturday night series Up For the Cup, and four series of TVS's hangman-style game show All Clued Up.
For BBC TV, he hosted Top of the Pops and Seaside Special and the Eurovision Song Contest Previews in 1986. For seven years, he was the main host of one of the earliest satellite TV stations, Lifestyle. Hamilton was one of the final people on the network when it closed on 24 January 1993, appearing on the final segment wishing viewers goodbye.

## Radio career
### BBC Radio

Hamilton made his broadcasting debut with the British Forces Network in Cologne in Germany during his national service in 1959. His first UK broadcast was as the host of The Beat Show from the Playhouse Theatre, Manchester, in 1962. He hosted the show on the BBC Light Programme until 1965. He presented the final edition of Housewives' Choice in 1967 and was first heard on BBC Radio 1 in November 1967, presenting Family Choice. By the late 1960s, Hamilton was presenting many shows for BBC radio, including Music Through Midnight, Roundabout, Pop Inn, Radio 1 Club and shows featuring the music of Frank Chacksfield.
In 1970, he joined the team of Late Night Extra and in 1973 was offered his own daily show on Radio 1 every weekday afternoon from 2 pm to 5 pm. In 1975, the show was simultaneously broadcast on Radio 1 and Radio 2 (listeners being able to hear the show in stereophonic sound on Radio 2's VHF frequency), giving it the largest British audience of the day. In November 1977, the show moved to Radio 2 and he remained with the station until he quit at the end of 1986, stating that the music policy had become Geriatric, as the then head of music Frances Line had decided to change the music policy to reflect that of the old Light Programme.

### Commercial radio

Since January 1987, Hamilton has been heard on many commercial stations in the UK. He joined Reading's Radio 210 initially to present a mid-morning show from 9 am to 12 noon although the show was quickly brought forward an hour, starting at 8 am. He then joined Capital Gold in November 1988 to present its daily 10 am to 1 pm show. In addition to that, he also presented a weekly oldies show which was heard on various ILR stations around the UK. This was usually heard on a Sunday afternoon.
In late 1994, Hamilton presented the Breakfast show on Melody FM (now Magic 105.4) for four years before moving to London's Liberty Radio to present an afternoon show. He also did a show on the Classic Gold Network on a Sunday.
In 2000, he joined PrimeTime Radio, presenting the weekday mid-morning show, where he remained until its demise in 2006. In October 2001, he left Classic Gold and presented the breakfast show on Birmingham's Saga 105.7 FM before moving to Nottingham's Saga 106.6 FM in early 2003. From 2004 to 2006, he was heard on radio stations around the UK, presenting his Million Sellers show, which would usually go out on a Saturday lunchtime, and was repeated at midnight. Around this time he also had a sojourn at Big L 1395.
In April 2012, Hamilton was one of the launch presenters on The Wireless, an Internet-based radio station operated by Age UK and aimed at older people throughout the UK.
He was a founder director of Lite FM in Peterborough and Splash FM in Worthing, hosting the first programme with guest Leo Sayer in 2003.
In February 2021, he started a daily lunchtime show with Boom Radio, the national DAB station aimed at the baby boom generation.

## Stage

On stage Hamilton has compered shows by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, David Cassidy and many other pop acts. He has hosted shows at the Royal Albert Hall and the London Palladium, and headlined in four major pantomimes.
In 2016, he embarked on a 40-theatre tour, David Hamilton's Rock 'n' Roll Back The Years, with band The Fugitives, and singers.

## Sport

Hamilton was the compere for the Wembley Lions Speedway team in 1970 and 1971. During the 1970s, Hamilton was also the match day presenter for the Reading Racers Speedway Club. Latterly he was seen frequently on BBC One's Match of the Day and BSkyB's Football First as he was the matchday compère at Fulham F.C.

## Books

Hamilton is the author of six books: David Hamilton's Beauty Tips for Women, 1974, The Music Game (autobiography), 1986, A Fulhamish Tale, 2012, The Golden Days of Radio One, 2017 and Commercial Radio Daze, 2020. David Hamilton's new autobiography, "The Long and Winding Road", published in 2024.

## Current work

In 2019, Hamilton celebrated 60 years in broadcasting. By this time he was heard regularly on his local stations BBC Radio Sussex and BBC Radio Surrey. His Million Sellers show continues to be aired on several stations in the UK and abroad.
In 2021, at the age of 82, he became the oldest broadcaster to present a daily show on national radio with his lunchtime show on Boom Radio. The same year David Hamilton`s Million Sellers and David Hamilton`s Hotshots launched on the Now 70s music television channel and he was a guest on Britain`s Biggest 70s Hits on Channel 5. He has been a newspaper reviewer on Sky News and also began contributing to GB News in 2022. On the 2 December 2023, speaking on Mark Dolan Tonight he disclosed during a royal family studio discussion that, "I have 9 grandchildren".

## Television

| Show | Description | Year |
| ABC TV | Continuity announcer | 1960–1968 |
| Cue For Sport | Series Host, Tyne-Tees TV | 1962 |
| Living Your Life | Interviewer, ABC TV for ITV Network | 1962 |
| Blackpool Night And Day | Compere ABC TV | 1963 |
| ABC At Large | Interview with The Beatles | 1963 |
| Rehearsal Room | Pop Music Series Host, Tyne-Tees TV | 1964 |
| About Anglia | Interviewer, Anglia TV | 1984 |
| It's The Geordie Beat | Pop show host, Tyne-Tees TV | 1964 |
| The Bright Sparks | Children's TV series host, Tyne-Tees TV | 1966–1967 |
| Doddy's Music Box | Interviewer, ABC TV series for ITV network | 1967–1968 |
| Singalong | Music series host, Tyne-Tees TV | 1967 |
| Try For Ten | Quiz series host, Anglia TV | 1967–1969 |
| Pop The Question | Quiz series host, Tyne-Tees TV | 1968 |
| Goodbye From ABC | Writer and host, ABC TV | 1968 |
| Thames Television | Continuity announcer | 1968–1982 |
| Fashion From Woburn | Host, Thames TV | 1968 |
| Magic Circle Christmas Box | Host, Thames TV | 1968–1969 |
| Out Of School | Host, Thames TV | 1969 |
| Easter Holiday Sport | Host, Thames TV | 1969 |
| Whit Monday Sport | Host, Thames TV | 1969 |
| Epsom Derby Day | Interviewer, Thames TV | 1969–1972 |
| Glamour '69 | Host, Beauty contest series Anglia TV | 1969 |
| Benny Hill Show | Interviewer, Thames TV | 1969–1970, 1973 |
| Dickie Henderson Show | Interviewer, Thames TV | 1969 |
| Doddy's Christmas Bizarre | Interviewer, London Weekend TV | 1969 |
| Dig And Run | Quiz series host, Westward TV | 1970 |
| 1970 World Cup | Host, Thames TV | 1970 |
| Aladdin's Cave | Host, Thames TV | 1970 |
| Miss Westward | Host, Beauty contest series, Westward TV | 1970, 1974 |
| Just Look | Host, Children's series Yorkshire TV | 1971–1972 |
| Miss TV Times | Host Thames TV for ITV network | 1971–1972 |
| Christmas Cavalcade | Guest, London Weekend TV | 1971 |
| Once Upon A Time | Storyteller, Thames TV | 1971 |
| Ken Dodd Show | Series interviewer, ATV | 1972 |
| Miss TV Times London | Host, Thames TV | 1972–1973 |
| Miss London | Host, Thames TV | 1972–1974 |
| Chipperfield's Circus | Host, Thames TV for ITV network | 1972–1973, 1976–1978 |
| Monty Python's Flying Circus | Cameo role BBC TV | 1973 |
| European Figure Skating Championships | Host, Thames TV | 1973 |
| Ken Dodd Show | Interviewer | 1973 |
| Sunday Night At The London Palladium | Series voice-over, ATV | 1974 |
| Miss Thames TV | Host | 1974 |
| Porridge | Voice on radio, BBC TV | 1974 |
| Seaside Special | Series host, BBC TV | 1975–1977 |
| Today | Interviewer, Thames TV | 1975–1977 |
| Tommy Cooper Show | Series interviewer, Thames TV for ITV network | 1975 |
| Celebrity Squares | Guest, ATV | 1975 |
| Top Of The Pops | Series host, BBC TV | 1976–1978, 1988 |
| Smokie | Host, BBC TV | 1976 |
| Thames TV in New York | Newsreader/programme host | 1976 |
| Whose Baby | Guest, Thames TV | 1977 |
| Harry Secombe Christmas Special | Guest, Yorkshire TV for ITV network | 1977 |
| You Can't Be Serious | Guest, Thames TV | 1978 |
| Quick On The Draw | Guest, Thames TV | 1978 |
| Late Late Show | Guest, RTE | 1978 |
| Singalong With Sunshine | Guest, BBC Scotland | 1978 |
| Soft Touch | Guest, ATV | 1978 |
| Generation Game | Guest, BBC TV | 1978–1981 |
| Feeling Great | Guest, BBC TV | 1978 |
| World Disco Dance Championship | Host, Thames TV for ITV network | 1978–1979 |
| Magpie | Guest, Thames TV | 1978 |
| Blankety Blank | Guest, BBC TV | 1979–1982, 1985 |
| Northern Life | Guest, Tyne-Tees TV | 1979 |
| Nationwide | Guest, BBC TV | 1979 |
| Thames TV in Los Angeles | Newsreader/programme host | 1979 |
| Square One | Guest, Granada TV | 1980 |
| Give Us A Clue | Guest, Thames TV | 1980 |
| TV Times Awards | Host, Thames TV for ITV network | 1980–1981 |
| Up For The Cup | Host, Talent Show series ATV for ITV network | 1980 |
| Punchlines | Panel show guest, LWT | 1980–1984 |
| Life Lines | Guest, BBC TV | 1981 |
| Family Fortunes | Guest, ATV | 1981 |
| Friday Live | Guest, Tyne-Tees TV | 1982 |
| The Last Song | Guest, BBC TV | 1983 |
| Make Me Laugh | Guest, Tyne-Tees TV | 1983 |
| Babble | Guest, Channel 4 | 1983 |
| Untied Shoelaces Show | Guest, BBC TV | 1983 |
| Pebble Mill At One | Guest | 1983 |
| Morecambe & Wise Show | Guest, Thames TV | 1983 |
| Game For A Laugh | Guest, LWT | 1983 |
| Cilla Black Show | Guest, LWT | 1983 |
| Child's Play | Guest, LWT | 1984 |
| Star Romances | Guest, TV-AM | 1984 |
| Saturday Night Affairs | Guest, BBC TV | 1984 |
| Late Late Breakfast Show | Guest, BBC TV | 1984 |
| Breakfast Time | Guest, BBC TV | 1984 |
| Pop The Question | Team captain of music quiz series, TVS | 1985 |
| Lifestyle | Host of many series including Coffee Break, David Hamilton's People SKY TV | 1985–1993 |
| I've Got A Secret | Guest, BBC TV | 1986 |
| Eurovision Song Contest Previews | Host, BBC TV | 1986 |
| Coast To Coast People | Guest, TVS | 1987 |
| That's My Dog | Guest, TSW | 1987 |
| All Clued Up | Host, Game show series TVS for ITV network | 1988–1991 |
| Quandries | Guest, TVS | 1988 |
| A Question Of Entertainment | Guest, BBC TV | 1988 |
| Central Weekend | Guest, Central TV | 1988, 1996 |
| The Time and The Place | Guest,TVS | 1988 |
| What's My Line? | Guest, Thames TV | 1988 |
| The Bottom Line | Guest, Thames TV | 1988 |
| Tell The Truth | Guest, TVS | 1990 |
| Ken Dodd Show | Thames TV | 1990 |
| 15 To 1 | Guest, Channel 4 | 1990, 1995 |
| Crazy Connections | Guest, Celador | 1990 |
| Happy Families | Guest, Meridian TV | 1993 |
| You Bet | Guest, LWT | 1993–1994 |
| Living TV | Guest | 1993–1995, |
| QVC | Music presenter | 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001 |
| Sky News | Reporter/guest | 1994–1998, 2001, 2011 |
| Through The Keyhole | Guest, BBC & ITV | 1994, 2000, 2007 |
| Travel Channel | Guest, 1994 | 1995–1996 |
| Jobs For The Girls | Guest, BBC TV | 1995 |
| The Warehouse | Guest, Anglia TV | 1995 |
| Soccer AM | Guest, Sky | 1995 |
| Telephonin' | Guest, HTV | 1995 |
| Love In The Afternoon | Guest, Channel 4 | 1996 |
| Bog Standard Chat Show | Guest, BBC TV | 1996 |
| Capital Woman | Guest, Mentorn | 1996 |
| Sportstalk | Guest, Granada TV | 1996 |
| Telly Addicts | Guest, BBC TV | 1996 |
| Esther | Guest, BBC TV | 1997 |
| Karioke Challenge | Guest, Challenge TV | 1997 |
| Pet Squad | Guest, Live TV | 1997 |
| Shooting Stars | Guest, BBC TV | 1997 |
| Talking Telephone Numbers | Guest, ITV | 1997 |
| Elvis Has Left The Building | Guest, Granada TV | 1997 |
| An Audience With Jim Davidson | Guest, ITV | 1997 |
| 5's Company | Guest, Channel 5 | 1997 |
| What's In The Box | Series Host, Live TV | 1998 |
| Living It Up | Guest, Living TV | 1998 |
| Hale & Pace | Guest, BBC TV | 1998 |
| Clive James on Television | Guest, Watchmaker TV | 1998 |
| Noel's House Party | Guest, BBC TV | 1998 |
| Kilroy | Guest, BBC TV | 1998 |
| Taking The Pitch | Guest, Granada TV | 1998 |
| New Year's Eve Is Rubbish | Guest, BBC TV | 1998 |
| The Day Britain Turned Disco | Guest, BBC TV | 1999 |
| Vanessa | Guest, BBC TV | 1999 |
| Mis-match Of The Day | Guest, Live TV | 1999 |
| Rocking The Blind | Guest, BBC TV | 2001 |
| The Real Julie Goodyear | Guest, Channel 4 | 2002 |
| The Real Tony Blackburn | Guest, Channel 5 | 2002 |
| Inside Out | Presenter, BBC TV | 2002 |
| 19 Keys | Guest, Channel 5 | 2003 |
| Anglia TV 50th Birthday Show | Narrator & Guest | 2005 |
| Fulham FC show | Series Host, Sky Sports | 2006 |
| It's Me or The Dog | Guest, Channel 4 | 2007 |
| Richard and Judy Show | Guest, Cactus TV | 2009 |
| The Weakest Link | Guest, BBC TV | 2009 |
| Cash In The Celebrity Attic | Guest, BBC TV | 2010 |
| Bob Monkhouse Special | Guest, BBC TV | 2010 |
| Celebrity Eggheads | BBC TV | 2010 |
| Vintage TV | Presenter | 2010–2011 |
| The One Show | Guest, BBC TV | 2011 |
| Cricketer of The Year | Voice-over, Sky Sports | 2011 |
| The Untold Tommy Cooper | Guest, Channel 4 | 2011 |
| Let's Dance for Sport Relief | Contestant, BBC TV | 2012 |
| Pointless Celebrities | Guest, BBC TV | 2012, 2019 |
| Antiques Road Trip | Guest, BBC TV | 2012 |
| Piers Morgan's Life Stories | Guest, ITV | 2013 |
| Amazing Greys | Guest, ITV | 2014 |
| David Hamilton Show | Series Host, Big Centre TV | 2015 |
| Ken Dodd Show | Guest, Channel 5 | 2016 |
| When Game Shows Go Horribly Wrong | Guest, Channel 5 | 2017 |
| Ken Dodd: How Tickled We Were | Guest, BBC 2 | 2018 |
| When TV Guests Go Terribly Wrong | Guest, Channel 5 | 2020 |
| Britain's Biggest 70s Hits | Guest (talking head contributor - various episodes/years), Channel 5 | 2021 |
| GB News | panellist | 2022 |