Chris Evans paid tribute at the Service of Thanksgiving for Sir Terry Wogan, saying: “Terry Wogan wasn’t the best. He is the best and he will always be the best.”
He told Westminster Abbey how Sir Terry invited him for lunch when Chris landed the job of hosting the Radio 1 breakfast show, going head-to-head with the veteran Radio 2 star.
After the marathon lunch, rounds of golf, dinner and plenty of alcohol consumed, Chris suggested, close to midnight, that they get the bill.
“‘Well’, said Sir Terry. ‘I never had you down as a quitter’.”
When Chris asked whether “even you” have to prepare just “a little bit” for the following day’s breakfast show, Sir Terry “looked at me as if I’d lost my mind.
“He looked at me and said: ‘It’s very simple. They either like you or they don’t’.
“Of course he was exactly right,” Chris said.
Chris said that he had been “gifted” …”the single most useful piece of advice” about broadcasting “from the great man himself”.
The service began with recordings of the star’s unmistakable voice from Sir Terry’s archive, including an emotional message as he signed off from his Radio 2 breakfast show for the final time, telling his loyal listeners “thank you for being my friend”, imploring an audience to dig deep for Children In Need and giggling live on air.
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