  frank bough (; born 15 january 1933) is a retired english television presenter who is best known as the former host of bbc sports and current affairs shows including grandstand, nationwide and breakfast time, which he launched alongside selina scott and nick ross. over a long broadcasting career, bough became renowned for his smooth, relaxed and professional approach to live broadcasts. in 1987, michael parkinson said: "if my life depended on the smooth handling of a tv show, bough would be my first choice to be in charge."bbc radio 4. desert island discs. 1 may 1987 in 1988, bough was sacked by the bbc, following revelations that he had taken cocaine and visited brothels. he later presented programmes on lwt, itv, sky tv and on london's lbc radio before his retirement. ==early life== bough was born in fenton, stoke-on-trent, staffordshire. he was educated at oswestry boys' high school (a shropshire county council secular grammar school), oswestry, shropshire, and at merton college, oxford. he played football for the university against cambridge, and performed his national service in the royal tank regiment. ==career== ===bbc=== bough joined the bbc as an anchorman and reporter, presenting a new newcastle upon tyne-based show called home at six, soon renamed north at six and then in 1963 becoming bbc look north. between 1964 to 1968, he was the presenter of sportsview and in 1964 
1933_births Alumni_of_Merton_College,_Oxford Association_football_commentators BBC_sports_presenters_and_reporters Cancer_survivors English_radio_presenters English_reporters_and_correspondents English_sports_broadcasters English_television_presenters Living_people Olympic_Games_broadcasters Organ_transplant_recipients People_from_Bray,_Berkshire People_from_Fenton,_Staffordshire People_from_Stoke-on-Trent