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Dave Lee Travis (also known professionally as DLT) is a UK radio presenter, best known for his career on BBC Radio 1.

Early life

Born in Buxton, Derbyshire on 25 May 1945, DLT began his radio career at the pirate station Radio Caroline North, moving later to the south ship. He also spent time presenting the German TV show Beat Club.

Career at Radio 1

His Radio 1 career began in 1968, presenting the 'Pop North' show from Manchester. Then in 1969 he took over a Sunday morning show from 10am-midday. In 1971, he was promoted to the weekday lunchtime show from 11am-1pm, moving back to Sunday mornings in 1973 and also presented the Radio 1 Club on Thursdays from 5-7pm.

In 1975 he took over the weekday teatime slot from 4.30-5.45pm (extended to run 4.30-7pm in 1977). He then took over the Breakfast Show from Noel Edmonds in May 1978 and continued in this slot until December 1980. On BBC television, he presented episodes of Top of the Pops in the 1970s and 1980s.

In 1978, an on-air parody of the US hit "Convoy", Convoy GB (by Laurie Lingo & The Dipsticks) led to a release of the song as a single along with fellow DJ Paul Burnett. The song reached No.4 in the charts and Dave appeared as the song's narrator Super Scouse on Top Of The Pops.

His popular quiz "Snooker on the radio" and in particular the sound effect "quack quack oops" became famous Radio 1 features.

January 1981 saw Travis move to weekday afternoons from 2.30-4.30 pm. Later that year he moved back to the weekday lunchtime slot from 11.30am-2pm, before moving to a Saturday morning show in 1983 from 10am-1pm, then Sunday mornings from 10am-1pm in 1987 taking over both Saturday & Sunday in September 1988. In 1987, he published a book of his own photographic efforts called 'A Bit Of A Star' which he dedicated to his late father.

He was famously the victim of a practical joke (or Gotcha) by Noel Edmonds on his TV show Noel's House Party. His radio quiz was unknowingly hijacked by two fake pub quiz teams which gave silly answers to every question such as the priceless "Q: Where would you find a dead man's handle?", "A: A hearse?" His 'reaction' at the reveal had to be recorded twice because his initial outburst was rather too sweary and broke the bleeper machine.

DLT spent 20 years presenting the BBC World Service programme "A Jolly Good Show".

Resigned on-air

In 1993 DLT resigned on-air during his Sunday morning show, stating that he could not agree with changes that were being made to Radio 1. Dave told his audience that changes were afoot that he could not tolerate - "....and I really want to put the record straight at this point and I thought you ought to know - changes are being made here which go against my principles and I just cannot agree with them...".

Dave is the only person to have won both "Pipesmoker of the Year" and "Rear of the Year".

Although TV work included the popular Golden Oldie Picture Show, Dave was always disappointed at never being approached for Jackanory.

Since 1993

Since then and up until the early 2000s Dave has worked for the oldies station Classic Gold and Garrison Radio for the Army. He was briefly heard on Spain's Spectrum FM in early 2005, presenting a Saturday morning show, but that ended later that same year.

On the 14th February 2000, DLT was the subject of the This Is Your Life programme on British TV. Other TV credits include The Weakest Link, Noel's House Party, Mrs Merton, Stars Reunited, Kick Start and Today with Des and Mel.

Current Work

Since March 2003, Dave has presented a Sunday morning show from 9am-12midday on BBC Three Counties Radio, his local BBC radio station.

In addition, since the summer of 2006, DLT presents a weekend morning show on the Magic Radio AM stations across the North of England between 10am-1pm. He replaced Eamonn Holmes on Sunday, after he left suddenly.

Nickname

In the 1970s he adopted the on-air nickname of "The Hairy Monster", but changed this to "The Hairy Cornflake" when he started presenting Radio 1's Breakfast Show.

Trivia

• In 1993 Paul Calf stated he'd "rather see Dave Lee Travis play Macbeth" than see Anthony Perkins play Josef K in the film adaptation of Franz Kafka's novel The Trial.

• Dave Lee Travis

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