Peter Wheeler (1934 – 18 May 2010) was an English television and radio broadcaster and actor.

Early life

He was born in West Hartlepool.

He grew up in the north west of England, was educated at William Hulme's Grammar School, and first appeared as a boy actor in radio dramas.

Career

He began presenting news reports and conducting interviews for Granada Television in the early 1960s, before working for BBC TV on Crossword On Two, a quiz show, and Call My Bluff in 1967. At around the same time, he also hosted the Granada children's quiz Junior Criss Cross Quiz. In 1971, he created and hosted another quiz, Full House, for Thames TV.^[2]

He regularly contributed narrations, credited as "court reporter", for the Granada TV drama series Crown Court between 1972 and 1984. In 1974 he started working, mainly as an off-screen voice, on What the Papers Say, at first on ITV and later Channel 4 and then BBC2. He also made appearances, often as himself, in television dramas including The Villains in 1964, and Coronation Street, in which he made several appearances between 1975 and 2001. He appeared as the toastmaster in a televised competition for after-dinner speakers, M'Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen, on Granada TV in 1978–79. His other work included a period hosting Come Dancing, and he narrated and presented many documentaries and training films from the 1960s onwards.^[2]

He formed his own broadcasting consultancy business, Peter Wheeler Associates, in 1981. He was the younger brother of broadcaster Geoffrey Wheeler.^[2]

Personal life

He had three sons and a daughter, Jo Wheeler. He lived on Carrwood Road in Wilmslow.

References