John Hannam began writing on show business for local papers on the Isle of Wight, back in the late 50s. By the 70s he had a regular Stage Talk column in the Isle of Wight Weekly Post, and had started to write for The Stage. This has continued in the form of reviews and features, for the past 30 years.
He also moved into radio in 1990, as a chat show host for Sony Gold Award winning Isle of Wight Radio. ‘John Hannam Meets’ is the longest running chat show in the country, with 17 non-stop years behind it. Among the 700 famous guests who have appeared are Sir Cliff Richard, Buddy Greco, Kate Adie, Ken Dodd, Jeremy Irons, Michael Ball, Susan Hampshire, Prince Edward, Victoria Wood, Charlton Heston, the late Sir John Mills, Bruce Forsyth, Sir Norman Wisdom, Sir Tim Rice, Dame Vera Lynn, David Gates, Twiggy, Sir Stirling Moss, Des O’Connor, Virginia McKenna, Honor Blackman, Michael Ball and Michael York. He was also invited to the set of Coronation Street to interview eight of the cast, including Liz Dawn, Bill Tarmey and Helen Worth. This 2-hour Sunday lunchtime show recently had a 70% RAJAR increase.
Over the years John has built up a trust and understanding amongst stars, agents, press officers and managements. Those who will readily vouch for him include Phill Jupitus, Tom O’Connor, Marti Webb, Don Black, June Whitfield, Les Reed, Anthony Minghella, Nick Thomas and Roy Hudd.
John chooses his own guests and only interviews them because he really wants to – and not because of a programme controller or features editor. He has strong feelings about private lives being aired in public. He has never worked this way and all his interviews are on a professional-life basis. They are also all in-person.
He also writes for the Isle of Wight County Press, with a 40,000 circulation and over 100,000 readers, and reviews South Coast shows and contributes features for The Stage. Over the past thirty two years John has interviewed over 2000 famous people. He also had his own Solent TV chat show, Hannam’s Half Hour.
WEB ONLY PRICE
Ten years ago, after being interviewed by John Hannam, the late Jeremy Beadle asked him what he did with all the in-person interviews he had recorded since 1972. On being told that John still had them all, he suggested there would be a market for them to be issued on CDs. Volume one of the John Hannam Archives is now available and dedicated to Jeremy’s memory.
The first CD contains highlights from eleven interviews with never forgotten stars. The line-up is Tommy Cooper, Adam Faith, Lena Zavaroni, Ronnie Hilton, Russ Conway, Hylda Baker, Jack Warner, Hugh Lloyd, Norman Vaughan, John Mills and Ken Platt.
£7.50
John Hannam has had a passion for show business for over fifty years and has interviewed thousands of people during his career as a broadcaster. They range from Hollywood actors of the calibre of Charlton Heston and Sir John Mills to pop icons like Sir Cliff Richard, as well as local heroes such as Sylvia Jones. John has brought them all together in I Was A Stage Door Johnny, a book which reveals the stories behind those interviews.
£9.95
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