Jeremy Beadle - Beadle was born in Hackney, East London, on 12 April 1948. His father abandoned his mother when he learned that she was pregnant. Before he reached the age of two, he was frequently hospitalised and had undergone surgery for Poland syndrome, a rare genetic disorder which stunted growth in his right hand.
His mother worked as a secretary to help pay to raise him. Beadle did not enjoy school, and was frequently in trouble. He was eventually expelled from his secondary school, Orpington County Secondary Boys' School.
After his expulsion, he travelled and worked throughout Europe. He had a number of jobs, at one point taking photographs of topless models, and worked as a skin diving instructor, lavatory attendant and tour guide. He often said that he gave the best London tour.
In 1973, as an early member of the Campaign for Real Ale, he was elected to their National Executive and secured the Campaign's first TV or radio coverage in a one hour programme on BBC Radio London, which he hosted In 1972 he was employed as one of the management of the Bickershaw Festival. and he worked on further musical events over the next couple of years It was during this period that his talent for practical jokes became evident, although occasionally this rebounded on him, such as when colleagues left him naked in front of 400 women arriving for their shift. He then started writing for radio and television, going on to provide material for stars such as Terry Wogan, Michael Aspel, Noel Edmonds and Kenny Everett,[2] and was co-editor of Time Out in London and editor of Time Out North West although that only lasted six issues in the north west and that was when he got involved in Bickershaw Festival at the suggestion of North West Arts.
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