Montague Modlyn

Montague Modlyn

Montague ("Monty") Modlyn (born 23 May 1921 in Lambeth – 6 May 1994), was a British journalist, best known as a radio/TV presenter. Modlyn worked on BBC radio and TV often as a 'roving reporter'. (There may be a query as to the date of his death. As an internet article of his obituary from The Independent, gives the date of his death as 14th May 1994 (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-monty-modlyn-1435927.html))

On LBC radio he presented Monty Modlyn at Large. He also presented a series on LBC called "Monty's Pub" where he visited a different public house every week. As well as pubs, Modlyn had a fondness for smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels, which he would consume on air each week during his Sunday evening phone-in show on LBC.

Modlyn was the son of a Jewish tailor and left school at 14. He worked as a proof reader's assistant for the Daily Mail and then wrote for the South London Press and the Evening Standard. His first broadcast was Down Lambeth Way, a talks programme for Forces radio. He was an outside broadcaster for the Jack de Manio early morning radio programme. In the 1960s he did pilot shows for Tyne Tees TV, including a Christmas Special.

He cultivated an East End working-class image, together with an apparent lack of respect for the rich and famous. His classic interview in this vein was with Ugandan dictator Idi Amin Dada, whom he ingenuously asked how many people he had murdered. Amin responded "You very cheeky man!" Modlyn was delighted by that, and adopted a theme song:

Oh pardon my cheek, and the way that I speak, but no matter where I go
To common or gentry, I talk element'ry In the only way I know.

Modlyn was a vocal supporter of the Conservative Party and prime minister Margaret Thatcher. He was pictured with Thatcher at the Tory Youth Rally at the Wembley Conference Centre in London in June 1983.[1]

References

  1. ^ "Margaret Thatcher's years in office". The Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/uknews/5237378/Margaret-Thatchers-years-in-office.html?image=13. Retrieved 20 February 2011. 



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