# Bob Wellings

Robert Arthur Wellings (1 April 1934 – 1 March 2022) was a British television presenter best known for his work on the BBC's current affairs programme Nationwide. Born in Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine, he later became a prominent figure in British television during the 1970s and 1980s.

## Early life

Wellings was born on 1 April 1934 in Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine, to Louise (née Dalzell) and Francis Wellings. His father, a geologist for the Iraq Petroleum Company, hailed from Shropshire, while his mother was originally from Texas.
During his early childhood, the family lived in the Far East before relocating to the United States at the onset of the Second World War. While in the U.S., Wellings attended an American military school.
In 1947, following the war, the family settled in Amersham, Buckinghamshire. Wellings continued his education at Downside School in Somerset, where he boarded. After completing his schooling, he served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) as part of his National Service.
Wellings went on to study English at Trinity College, Cambridge. During his time at Cambridge, he became involved in the university's renowned Footlights dramatic society, appearing in several amateur productions that showcased his budding talent.

## Career

Wellings began his career as a hack writer of children's books and a cartoonist for Tatler and Punch magazines, using the moniker "Robert." Following this, he taught at a boys' prep school in Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire.
In 1959, Wellings transitioned to broadcasting, joining Anglia Television's local news program About Anglia in Norwich as a reporter and presenter. His entry into the role was serendipitous, resulting from a chance meeting with a senior executive on a train. In 1964, he joined BBC Television's South regional news team, before returning to Anglia Television from 1966 to 1969.
In 1970, Wellings rejoined the BBC and became a presenter on Nationwide, a role he held until 1979. During his tenure, he worked alongside colleagues such as Frank Bough and Sue Lawley. Describing the versatility required of the job, Wellings remarked in the 1991 documentary Let’s Go Nationwide: "As a Nationwide reporter, you had to be able to tackle anything, from interviewing, say, Edward Heath to some extraordinary animal."
In 1973, Wellings co-presented the inaugural season of That's Life! alongside actor George Layton. In 1979, despite his limited knowledge of pop music, he co-hosted the British Rock and Pop Awards with David "Kid" Jensen. The writer Clive James humorously described Wellings as "square as a brick," noting that the only pop song he recognized, Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty, was one of the night's winners.
After Nationwide, Wellings remained active in broadcasting. He co-presented On the Town with Joan Bakewell from 1980 to 1981 and became a reporter on Sixty Minutes, Nationwide’s successor, from 1983 to 1984. He later hosted the regional news program London Plus from 1984 to 1985. From 1986 to 1989, Wellings co-presented BBC 1's daytime show Open Air alongside Eamonn Holmes and Pattie Coldwell. In 1989, he filmed his last nationally screened series, The Solent Way, and briefly co-hosted the breakfast program on London Talkback Radio with Douglas Cameron.
Wellings made occasional appearances in television dramas, portraying a television interviewer in the 1992 BBC sitcom Don't Tell Father, as well as in the BBC satire If You See God, Tell Him and The Buddha of Suburbia in 1993.

## Personal life and death

Bob Wellings married Penny Tennyson (born 1940), a secretary from Walberswick and the great-great-granddaughter of Victorian poet laureate Alfred, Lord Tennyson, in Norwich in 1963. The couple met through Penny's stepfather, Michael Jeans, who worked for Anglia TV. They had three children: daughters Emma and Sophie, and a son, Matthew. The marriage ended in divorce in 1984.
Wellings was passionate about cars and enjoyed exploring the outdoors, particularly in East Anglia and other parts of eastern England. In retirement, he settled in Halesworth, Suffolk. He died on 1 March 2022, at the age of 87, in his sleep at Beech House care home in Halesworth. His death followed a fall that resulted in a fractured hip.