Mike Dickin

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Mike Dickin (September 28, 1943 – December 18, 2006), was a late-night host on the British radio station talkSPORT. Dickin used to present the 1am to 6am slot at weekends on Talk Radio. He returned filling in for James Whale during James' battle with kidney cancer. He was given the morning show slot soon afterwards. He was affectionately known as the King by his fans due to his resemblance to King Henry VIII, although this may have just been something that was (1) added to Wikipedia for a laugh, (2) subsequently reported as "fact" in obituaries by areas of the media that decided he wasn't a significant enough figure to research his life beyond a quick look on Wikipedia and (3) remains on Wikipedia because said obituaries supposedly give it credence.

Starting out as a musician in the 1960s, Dickin was a bass player and singer who found he preferred playing records to making them when he joined the BBC in 1970 as the first presenter on air at Radio Oxford. In 1977, Dickin moved to Australia where he worked for Sydney's biggest radio station, 2UE. Upon returning to the UK in the late '70s he spent 17 years working for BBC Radio 4, LBC and Capital Radio. He started at Talksport (then Talk Radio UK) in 1995.

Dickin was on air in the UK overnight when news of the car crash which subsequently killed Diana, Princess of Wales was broken, and he was still on air to make the announcement of her death as a newsflash. Audio of this broadcast can be heard from here.

Dickin was famous for his strongly held views. His passion led to him being labeled "Britain’s angriest man" by talkSPORT listeners. Typical discussions on his show included crime, cars, trains, taxis, the problems of young people, the downfall of Britain, the incompetence of people in the service industry, parking tickets and call centres. He was also known for his catchphrases, such as "My health is not in question" when asked how he was. Other catchphrases include: "If you were constipated, you’d be speechless", "I've had a gutful...", "You don't have two brain cells to rub together", and "If your brains were made of dynamite, there wouldn't be enough to blow your hat off".

A staunch atheist, Dickin's last show was (ironically) all about the afterlife and the existence of God.

Mike Dickin was killed in a car crash while driving on the A30 near his home in Cornwall, on December 18, 2006, at the age of 63. Fellow talkSPORT presenter James Whale presented his tribute show.