Colin Murray
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{{Refimprove|date=August 2007}}
{{Infobox Person
| image = Replace this image male.svg <!-- Only freely-licensed images may be used to depict living people. See [[WP:NONFREE]]. -->
| image_size = 150px |
| name = Colin Murray
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1977|3|10}}
| birth_place = [[Belfast]], [[Northern Ireland]]
| death_date =
| death_place =
| known_for = His night-time [[BBC Radio 1]] show,<br> Presenting ''[[Fighting Talk]]'' on [[BBC Radio Five Live]],<br> Sports presenting on [[Five (channel)|Five]]
| occupation = [[Radio]] and [[Television]] Presenter
| website = [http://www.bbc.com/radio1/colinmurray Radio1 profile]
}}
'''Colin Murray''' (born [[March 10]] [[1977]]) is a [[BBC]] national radio and television presenter from the [[Ballybeen]] estate in [[Dundonald]], east [[Belfast]], [[Northern Ireland]].<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/radioulster/2007/03/ Fame And Shame, Stuart Bailie]</ref><ref>[http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/music-gigs/news/article2568540.ece?service=print ''Belfast Telegraph]</ref>
His career path includes digging graves at the age of 16, working in [[McDonald's]]<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/presenters/colinmurray_biog.shtml Five Live]</ref>, nude modelling for life drawing classes in Belfast and print journalism for the ''[[The News Letter]]'' and publications in [[Canada]], as well as running the music magazines ''Buzz'' and ''BLANK''.
==Radio==
Colin Murray joined [[BBC Radio 1]] with [[Donna Legge]] in 1999 as one of the original hosts of Radio 1's Session programmes. Their show was broadcast every Thursday night between 8.00 and 10.00 in [[Northern Ireland]] only, focusing on the best new music from the province. They quickly built a good rapport and went on to deputise for [[John Peel]], [[Steve Lamacq]] and [[Mary Ann Hobbs]]. By 2001 Murray was also branching out into deputising for daytime radio hosts, and in October 2001 he spent two weeks filling in on Late Drive for [[Dave Pearce]]. By 2002 he had caught the eye of [[Channel 4]] and in February 2002 ceased deputising at Radio 1 to host Channel 4's Morning Show-[[RI:SE]].
However, RI:SE didn't turn out to be a ratings success, but in December 2002 Murray was unveiled as the replacement to [[Steve Lamacq]] on the Evening Session. However, this move was only a temporary measure by Radio 1 since in July 2003 [[XFM]] signing [[Zane Lowe]] took over the 8-10 pm slot on a full time basis.
By late 2003, Murray had teamed up with [[Edith Bowman]] (his former co-host from RI:SE) to host the [[Colin and Edith]] show. From September 2003, the show went out between 10am and 1pm every Saturday and Sunday in the slot shared between [[Vernon Kay]] (Saturdays) and [[Dick and Dom]] (Sundays). During his partnership with Bowman they also deputised for [[Sara Cox]] on the Breakfast Show. Murray also presented a late night music show on [[Channel 4]], under the [[4music]] strand. The show, [[Ear Candy]], was a mix of music, interviews and comedy skits. However the comedy skits were described as "weak observations, poorly performed", and after an editorial meeting, Murray decided to concentrate solely on the music.
By March 2004, Colin and Edith moved to weekday daytimes taking over the Lunchtime Show from [[Mark and Lard]]. On their 2 years on the Lunchtime Show, they grew their audiences to 5 million - a 10 year high. In June 2006, Radio 1 announced that Colin and Edith would part company, with the latter continuing on the lunchtime show solo and Murray taking over a new weeknight 10pm - Midnight show, once held by John Peel. The new late night show began on [[25 September]] [[2006]] and includes a mix of New Music and alternative classics. Features include Colin's Mobile Disco, College Drop In, The Black Hole of Radio 1, Free Association and Four Reasons Why. The show is usually live, unless Murray does a football match on Five, in which case [[DJ Nihal|Nihal]] covers the show.
Recent reports have claimed that the BBC pulled a commercial for Murray's radio show which featured him being released skywards attached to 500 helium balloons, in light of an accident suffered by ''[[Top Gear (current format)|Top Gear]]'' host [[Richard Hammond]], but the BBC have denied these reports, saying that the aforementioned commercial will simply not be shown, and that other commercials had been filmed and will be shown instead.
Murray currently presents [[BBC Radio Five Live]]'s ''[[Fighting Talk]]'', a sport related, comedic panel game of competitive banter, and has deputised for both [[Simon Mayo]] and [[Julian Worricker]] on [[Five Live]].
Colin also presents a show on [[Radio Ulster]] which is broadcast on Saturday evenings 10pm til midnight as part of the "Late with..." strand on the station.<ref>.[http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/article3374415.ece]
</ref>
On [[30 April]] [[2007]], he won a gold award at the [[25th Sony Radio Academy Awards]] for Music Broadcaster Of The Year. He is one of the various people thanked on the ''[[Final Straw]]'' and ''[[Eyes Open]]'' albums by Belfast band [[Snow Patrol]], being one of the first DJs to give the band national airplay.
==Television==
TV work has included presenting shows on [[BBC Three]] - including [[Glastonbury Festival|Glastonbury]] coverage - and on [[Channel 4]], where he reported for ''[[RI:SE]]'' and presented ''[[Born Sloppy]]'' with [[Sara Cox]]. In 2005 he became the new co-presenter of late night [[National Football League|American Football]] on [[Five (TV)|five]], with expert pundit [[Mike Carlson]]. However he had to leave in the 4th week of the 2006 season due to his new work commitments at Radio 1 with a show that finishes at midnight (an hour before the NFL on five starts).
He also commentates broadcasts of the [[European Poker Tour]], alongside [[John Duthie]]. He appeared alongside [[Edith Bowman]] on [[Sky Sports|Sky Sports 1]]'s hit show ''[[Soccer AM]]''. He has presented reports for [[Jo Whiley]]'s ''The Cut'' and presented ''[[EastEnders|EastEnders Revealed]]'' on [[BBC Three]].
He has also recently begun presenting [[Sudoku Street-Cred]] on [[Dave (TV channel)|UKTV G2]]. When the [[Red Bull Flugtag]] was held in Belfast Colin Murray was the presenter.
He is also the anchorman for Five's [[UEFA Cup]] coverage, often alongside [[Pat Nevin]], moving [[John Barnes (footballer)|John Barnes]] to a roving reporter role.<ref>{{Cite web
| url = http://www.five.tv/aboutfive/press/pressreleases/20060202-murrayjoinsbarnes/
| title = murray to join barnes on five’s new-look football line-up
| date = 2006-02-02
| accessdate = 2007-03-23
| publisher = five
}}</ref>
He performed in [[Comic Relief does Fame Academy]] in March 2007 where he finished fourth. Johnny Vaughan took over the ''[[Fighting Talk]]'' hotseat for one day only in place of Colin Murray on 10th March 2007 and [[DJ Nihal|Nihal]] stood in for him on Radio 1 from [[7 March]] to [[15 March]].
In May 2007 Colin filmed a series of twenty new quiz shows with production company [[Twofour]] for Channel Five, called [[Payday (TV series)|Payday]], in which 8 contestants battle to win a years salary.
==Other activities==
Whilst living in Canada, he became a fan of [[baseball]]'s [[Toronto Blue Jays]]. On a 2007 visit he endorsed the CCRFC, the rugby team of Christ's College, Cambridge, who were on tour there.<ref>{{Cite web
| url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/cambridgeshire/realmedia/2007/09/tour_video_2.ram
| title = Colin Murray in a video diary of the CCRFC's tour of Toronto
| date = 2007-07-12
| accessdate = 2007-07-14
| publisher = BBC
}} </ref> His passions involve the aforementioned NFL (specifically, the [[Chicago Bears]]), [[poker]], [[watersports]], [[World Wrestling Entertainment]] (WWE) wrestling, [[boxing]] and his love of [[Liverpool F.C.]] Murray had 5 stars tattooed on his left wrist when [[Liverpool F.C.]] won the [[UEFA Champions League|European Cup]] for the 5th time. His showed his love for WWE by presenting an edition of the Colin & Edith show, with a cardboard cut-out of [[Trish Stratus]], in place of his absent co-presenter.
He co-directed [[Chris Cox (Mind Reader)|Chris Cox]] 2007 Edinburgh Fringe Festival Show, Everything Happens For A Reason. <ref> {{Cite web
| url = http://www.broadwaybaby.com/edinburgh/fringe/previews/chriscoxeverythinghappensforareason
| title = Chris Cox Everything Happens For A Reason
| date = 2007-07-12
| accessdate = 2007-07-14
| publisher = BroadwayBaby
}} </ref>
He also DJs at [[student union]] events around the country. He was the first ever act to perform (DJ) at the [[University of Central Lancashire]]'s new [[Students' Union]] building, 53 Degrees, at its opening in 2005.<ref>{{Cite web
| url = http://www.uclan.ac.uk/news/2005/web052A.htm
| title = 53 Degrees Opens its Doors
| date = 2005-04-13
| accessdate = 2007-03-26
| publisher = uclan
}}</ref>
Colin featured on a documentary film, [[Lord Don't Slow Me Down]], of British rock 'n' roll giants [[Oasis]]. He doesn't appear in the actual film, but he presents the band commentary that is an extra on the film's DVD. He also presented an interview with [[Noel Gallagher]] and [[Liam Gallagher]] on a DVD called 'Lock The Box' which was made in conjunction with the 2006 'best of' Oasis album entitled [[Stop The Clocks]].
Colin has also [[compère]]d at the [[Leeds]] leg of the last three [[Carling Weekend]] music festivals.
Colin has been the main driving force behind the campaign to get the song [[We're All Going To Die]] by [[Malcolm Middleton]] to [[Christmas Number One]] single. He appeared on [[BBC news]] programmes to promote the single.
During a radio broadcast of [[Fighting Talk]], Colin once hit Tom Watts for constantly interrupting during questions.
On his current Radio 1 show, he spoke about his dislike for pan pipe music. He also spoke of his annoyance at talking at gigs. He revealled on the Vinyl Special edition of his Radio 1 show on [[1 May]] [[2008]], that the first single he bought was [[Agadoo]] by [[Black Lace (band)|Black Lace]].
<ref>
{{Cite web
| url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/radio1_aod.shtml?radio1/murray_thu
| title = Vinyl documentary show
| date = 2008-05-01
| accessdate = 2008-05-05
| publisher = BBC
}}
</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/radio1/colinmurray.shtml BBC Press Office: Colin Murray biography]
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/colinmurray/ Colin Murray's Radio 1 Webpage]
*{{imdb|1162248|Colin Murray}}
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/programmes/fightingtalk.shtml Fighting Talk]
*[http://www.uktv.co.uk/?uktv=standarditem.index&aID=535672 Street Cred Suduko]
{{start box}}
{{succession box
| title = [[BBC Radio Five Live]]<br>[[Fighting Talk]] Presenter
| years = 2006 -
| before = [[Christian O'Connell]]
| after = incumbent
}}
{{end box}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Murray, Colin}}
[[Category:1977 births]]
[[Category:British association football commentators]]
[[Category:BBC Radio 5 Live presenters]]
[[Category:British television presenters]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Dundonald]]
[[Category:Poker commentators]]
[[Category:Northern Irish Radio DJs]]
[[Category:British radio DJs]]
[[Category:Sony Radio Academy Award Gold winners]]
[[Category:European Poker Tour]]
[[Category:Fame Academy participants]]