Introduction
Dale Winton is an English radio DJ and Television presenter. He is best known for presenting the shows Supermarket Sweep, Celebrity Fit Club, National Lottery show: In It To Win It, and Hole in the Wall.
Winton has been described as everything from "the new Larry Grayson" to "a national treasure."
Early life
Dale Jonathan Winton was born on 22 May 1955 in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. He is the son of actress Sheree Winton, best known for movies Terry-Thomas, and Rhubarb. His father was Jewish, and his mother converted to Judaism. His father died when he was very young. Winton was brought up by his mother.
He attended Aldenham Public School in Hertfordshire, England.
Career
DJ'ing and Radio career
Winton began his entertainment career DJ'ing in clubs in Richmond, a town in southwest London, in 1972. During those days, he met Steve Allen, an English television and radio presenter, with whom he has remained friends ever since.
After that, Winton did a few odd jobs before he began to work professionally at United Biscuits Network (UBN) in 1974 where he presented his own morning show, broadcasting to the workforce in the United Biscuits factories.
Three years later, in 1977, Winton joined Radio Trent in Nottingham, following which, he did a stint with Radio Danube in Yugoslavia.
After coming back to the UK, he ran an entertainment show at Chiltern Radio in Luton.
Television career
Winton's Television career began in 1986 with Pet Watch programme at BBC.
From 1988 to 1991, he worked with Beacon Radio in Wolverhampton, during which time, he was seen with Fern Britton on Home Today on ITV. He also had his own talk show on satellite's Lifestyle Channel.
His big break came in 1990 with the super hit show Supermarket Sweep for ITV.
From 1995 to 1996, Winton presented the BBC 1 Saturday night game show Pets Win Prizes. He took the show over from Danny Baker.
In 1996, Winton appeared in Danny Boyle's film Trainspotting, which was based on a novel by the same name by Irvine Welsh.
He then presented the final of The Great British Song Contest, and a dating show called The Other Half.
In 1999, he also appeared in an episode on the sitcom Gimme Gimme Gimme with Kathy Burke.
In 2002, he began presenting National Lottery: In It to Win It, for BBC 1.
In February 2008, Winton completed a pilot a game show You've Got The Answer for BBC 1.
Winton in 2008 presented another game show Hole In The Wall for BBC 1. The game was an adaptation of the Japanese game Brain Wall. Anton du Beke replaced Winton for the second series in 2009.
Radio Career
In August 1995, Dale stood in for Simon Mayo for two consecutive Sundays presenting the Classic Years on BBC Radio 1. After the success of the show, in 2000, Winton took over from Alan "Fluff" Freeman to present Pick of the Pops on BBC Radio 2. He hosted the show until Tony Blackburn replaced him in 2010.
Personal Life
Winton is a fane of Arsenal Football Club.
In 2003, he released his autobiography My Story, in which he wrote about his rise to fame, his highs and lows, his bullying father who died on the day of his bar mitzvah, and his actress mother's suicide.
Winton has struggled with depression on and off.
In his own words:
Presenting "In It To Win It" has given me some of the most nail-biting Saturday nights I've ever had. The contestants can win or lose everything on the very last question, so the tension keeps rising right up to the final moment. It's real edge of the seat stuff.
On his battle with depression...
I always thought, 'get over yourself'. But my mum died of it. It exists and anybody out there who has had it knows it exists. I didn’t want to put one foot in front of the other but for a couple of really good friends.