David Dimbleby CBE (born October 28, 1938) is a long standing BBC TV commentator, a presenter of current affairs and political programmes, and more recently, art and architectural history series. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... is the 301st day of the year (302nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... This article is an overview article about the Crown chartered British Broadcasting Corporation formed in 1927. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Current affairs is a genre of broadcast journalism where the emphasis is on detailed analysis and discussion of news stories that have recently occurred or are ongoing at the time of broadcast. ... Politics is the process by which decisions are made within groups. ... A television program (US), television programme (UK) or simply television show is a segment of programming in television broadcasting. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Education

David Dimbleby was educated at Glengorse School in Battle, East Sussex and Charterhouse School in Godalming, Surrey in Southern England. Learning French in Paris and Italian in Perugia, he went on to read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Christ Church, Oxford, graduating with a third-class degree. While at Oxford he was also a member of the Bullingdon Club, a socially exclusive student dining society, and edited the student magazine, Isis. Location within the British Isles Battle is a small town in East Sussex, England, about 5 miles (8 km) from Hastings, and the site of the Battle of Hastings, where William, Duke of Normandy, defeated King Harold II to become William I. Battle Abbey takes its name from the town... Charterhouse School (Originally, Suttons Hospital in Charterhouse), usually known simply as Charterhouse, is a famous boys English public school, located in Godalming in the county of Surrey. ... The Pepperpot, Godalmings former town hall. ... This article is about the English county. ... The north, the midlands and the south Southern England is an imprecise term used to refer to the southern counties of England. ... It has been suggested that List of visitor attractions in Paris be merged into this article or section. ... Location of Perugia in Italy Coordinates: , Country Region Province Province of Perugia Government  - Mayor Renato Locchi Area  - City 449 km²  (1,165 sq mi) Elevation 493 m (1,617 ft) Population (July 2006)[1]  - City 161,390  - Density 359/km² (929. ... Reading is the act of studying, particularly for an undergraduate degree at Oxford and Cambridge universities. ... Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) is a popular interdisciplinary degree which combines study from the three eponymous disciplines. ... College name Christ Church Named after Jesus Christ Established 1546 Sister College Trinity College Dean The Very Revd Christopher Andrew Lewis JCR President William Dorsey Undergraduates 426 MCR or GCR President {{{MCR President}}} Graduates 154 Home page Boat Club Christ Church (Latin: Ædes Christi, the temple or house of Christ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Bullingdon Club members pose for the camera in 1986. ... Isis is the longest-running independent student magazine in England, established in 1892 at the University of Oxford. ...

Career

He joined the BBC as a news reporter in Bristol in the 1960s and has appeared in news programmes since 1962, early on co-presenting the televised version of the school quiz Top of The Form. He became presenter of Panorama, which had been presented by his father, in 1974 and Dimbleby was involved in a variety of projects throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s, which combined his established role as presenter and interviewer with documentary making. Notable among these were the 1979 The White Tribe of Africa (an award-winning four-part history of South Africa's Afrikaans community and the rise of Apartheid), 1988's An Ocean Apart (an examination of the history of Anglo-American relations) and 1999's Rebellion! (a history of Britain's troubled relations with Zimbabwe). This article is about the English city. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Panorama is a long-running current affairs documentary series on BBC television, launched on 11 November 1953 and focusing on investigative journalism. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the year. ...

Since 1994, he has been chairman of Question Time, the BBC's flagship programme of topical debate. This is the role in which he is now best known. One of the most memorable moments from Question Time was when Dimbleby accidentally referred to Robin Cook as "Robin Cock", to which Cook responded by jokingly referring to Dimbleby as "David Bumblebee". The Dimbleby name has also been the brunt of humour in America when, in relating an interview conducted by Dimbleby's journalist younger brother Jonathan with former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Comedy Central's Daily Show presenter Jon Stewart mockingly described him as the winner of the coveted "most Dickensian surname" award. In 1980 he appeared in an episode of comedy sketch show The Goodies as "David Dimbumblum"[1]. Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ... Question Time is a topical debate television programme in the United Kingdom, based on Any Questions?. It is currently shown on BBC One at 22:35 on Thursdays, and typically features politicians from the three major political parties and other public figures who answer questions put to them by the... The British Broadcasting Corporation, which is usually known as the BBC, is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion. ... Robert Finlayson Cook (28 February 1946 – 6 August 2005) was a politician in the British Labour Party. ... General Colin Luther Powell, United States Army (Ret. ... The Daily Show (currently The Daily Show with Jon Stewart) is a Peabody and Emmy Award-winning American satirical television program produced by and airing on Comedy Central. ... Not to be confused with John Stewart or John Stuart. ... This article discusses the Goodies trio and the origins of their comedy TV series For information about the television series, see The Goodies (TV series) The Goodies are a trio of British comedians (Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie), who created, wrote, and starred in a surreal British...

Dimbleby anchored his first Election Night results programme for the BBC in 1979, when he presented alongside Bob McKenzie, David Butler, Sir Robin Day, and Angela Rippon. He has anchored every general election results programme for the BBC since then: in 1983 and 1987 with Sir Robin Day and Peter Snow; in 1992 with Peter Snow and Peter Sissons; and in 1997, 2001 and 2005 with Peter Snow and Jeremy Paxman. He is also seen on budget specials, and was a presenter of the current affairs programme Nationwide. Robert Trelford McKenzie (September 11, 1917–October 12, 1981) was a Vancouver, Canada-born professor of Politics and a psephologist. ... Dr. David Butler (born 17 October 1924) is a Social Scientist and Psephologist. ... Sir Robin Day, OBE (24 October 1923 – 6 August 2000) was a British political broadcaster and commentator of note. ... Angela Rippon, OBE (born October 12, 1944) is a well-known British television journalist and lesbian. ... Peter Snow CBE (born April 20, 1938 in Dublin, Ireland) is a British television and radio presenter. ... Peter Sissons presenting the last BBC Nine OClock News bulletin Peter George Sissons (born 17 July 1942 in Liverpool) is a nationally known television newscaster in the United Kingdom. ... Jeremy Dickson Paxman (born 11 May 1950) is an English BBC journalist, news presenter and author. ... Look up budget in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Nationwide was a BBC current affairs television series broadcast on BBC One each weekday following the main evening news. ...

Dimbleby has also covered outside broadcast events of national importance, such as the State Opening of Parliament, the Trooping the Colour, the Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London, and visits of U.S. presidents. He commentated on the funerals of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997 and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 2002, and the state visit of U.S. President George W. Bush to Britain the following year. In 1999, he opened BBC 2000 Today, the BBC's coverage of the millennium celebrations, from Greenwich, England. In the United Kingdom, the State Opening of Parliament is an annual event held usually in October or November that marks the commencement of a session of Parliament. ... Elizabeth II riding to Trooping the Colour for the last time in 1986 Trooping the Colour is a military pageant or ceremony performed by regiments of the Commonwealth and the British Army. ... Wreaths of artificial poppies used as a symbol of remembrance Remembrance Day (United Kingdom, Australia, Canada), also known as Poppy Day (South Africa and Malta), and Armistice Day (United States, New Zealand, France, and many other Commonwealth countries; and the original name of the day internationally) is a day to... The Cenotaph, London A ceremony at the Cenotaph, London, on Sunday 12th June 2005, remembering Irish war dead Memorial Cenotaph, Hiroshima, Japan A cenotaph is a tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person or group of persons whose remains are elsewhere. ... Whitehall, London, looking south towards the Houses of Parliament. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... “Diana Spencer” redirects here. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, later Queen Elizabeth (Elizabeth Angela Marguerite; 4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002), was the Queen Consort of King George VI of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions from 1936 until his death in 1952. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... For the pop band, see Presidents of the United States of America. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... This article is about the year. ... 2000 Today was an internationally-broadcast television special commemorating the beginning of the Year 2000. ... This page is about Greenwich in England. ...

There were reports in 2004 that Dimbleby was shortlisted for the Chairmanship of the BBC[2], however the position was eventually awarded to Michael Grade. As early as 1987 he was a contender for the position of Director General of the BBC (losing out to Michael Checkland), and for the chairmanship in the Corporation's tumultuous period following 2001 (which went to Gavyn Davies), but has instead remained best known for his role as a frank yet eminently impartial narrator, and occasional moderator, of British politics. He remains outspoken about the Corporation he has served for much of his life, but has stated that he will not apply for the chair or directorship again. Michael Ian Grade CBE (born March 8, 1943) is a British businessman and a distinguished figure in the field of broadcasting. ... Sir Michael Checkland (born 1936) was Director-General of the BBC from 1987 to 1992, having been appointed after the forced resignation of Alasdair Milne. ... Gavyn Davies Gavyn Davies (born 27 November 1950) was the chairman of the BBC from 2001 until 2004, a former Goldman Sachs banker and a former economic advisor to the British Government. ...

In 2005, he hosted a major BBC One series, A Picture of Britain, celebrating British and Irish paintings, poetry, music, and landscapes. In June 2007 he wrote and presented a follow-up, the BBC series, How We Built Britain, in which he explored the chronological history of British architecture by visiting a region of Britain and its historic buildings each week. Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A Picture of Britain is a BBC television series presented by David Dimbleby, which describes the British landscape and the art which it has inspired. ...

He was made an honorary graduate of the University of Essex[3] in 2005, and is the President of the Institute for Citizenship[4]. An honorary degree (Latin: honoris causa ad gradum, not to be confused with an honors degree) is an academic degree awarded to an individual as a decoration, rather than as the result of matriculating and studying for several years. ... The University of Essex rules is a British plate glass university. ...

Family

He is the son of the famous World War II war correspondent Richard Dimbleby and elder brother of Jonathan Dimbleby, also a current affairs commentator and presenter of both BBC and ITV programmes. David Dimbleby was a director of the Dimbleby Newspaper Group, former publishers of the Richmond and Twickenham Times, acquired by the Newsquest Media Group in 2001 for a reported £12 million. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Richard Dimbleby CBE (May 25, 1913–December 22, 1965) was an English journalist and broadcaster. ... Jonathan Dimbleby, (born 31 July 1944, Aylesbury) is a British presenter of current affairs and political radio and television programmes, a political commentator and a writer. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, which is usually known as the BBC, is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion. ... Independent Television (generally known as ITV, but also as ITV Network) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters, set up under the Independent Television Authority (ITA) to provide competition to the BBC. ITV is the oldest commercial television network in the UK. Since 1990 and the Broadcasting... With 300 titles to its name, Newsquest is the second largest publisher of regional and local newspapers in the United Kingdom. ... Newsquest is the second largest publisher of regional or local newspapers in the United Kingdom. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ...

The younger Dimblebys made their television debuts in the BBC's first holiday travelogue programme in the 1950s, when the entire family would visit locations in Switzerland or Brittany, for example. Despite the brothers presenting election coverage on competing channels, when asked in an interview about rival ITV's plans to include a riverboat party with the likes of Kevin Spacey and Richard Branson in their broadcast, he commented "They've got Jonathan Dimbleby, what do they need Kevin Spacey for?"[5] Historical province of Brittany, showing the main areas with their name in Breton language The traditional flag of Brittany (the Gwenn-ha-du), formerly a Breton nationalist symbol but today used as a general civic flag in the region. ... Independent Television (generally known as ITV, but also as ITV Network) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters, set up under the Independent Television Authority (ITA) to provide competition to the BBC. ITV is the oldest commercial television network in the UK. Since 1990 and the Broadcasting... Kevin Spacey (born July 26, 1959) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American actor (film and stage) and director. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, the lead section of this article may need to be expanded. ...

David has three children with his first wife, Josceline Dimbleby, cookery writer: Liza, artist; Henry, chef; and Kate, musician. His son, Henry Dimbleby, is co-founder of the healthy fast food chain Leon.

In 2000 he married Belinda Giles, a granddaughter of Herbrand Sackville, 9th Earl De La Warr[6]. They have one son. Herbrand Edward Dundonald Brassey Sackville, 9th Earl De La Warr (June 20, 1900 - January 28, 1976), known as Lord Buckhurst from 1900 until 1915 (and sometimes nicknamed Buck de la Warr after that), was a British National Labour politician in the 1930s. ...

He lives in Polegate, East Sussex[7]. Location within the British Isles Polegate is a town in East Sussex, England on the A27. ... East Sussex is a county in South East England. ...

See also

• Richard Dimbleby
• Jonathan Dimbleby

Richard Dimbleby CBE (May 25, 1913–December 22, 1965) was an English journalist and broadcaster. ... Jonathan Dimbleby, (born 31 July 1944, Aylesbury) is a British presenter of current affairs and political radio and television programmes, a political commentator and a writer. ...

External links

• David Dimbleby at the BFI's Screenonline