Geoffrey Wheeler

Background

Wheeler was born in Manchester, but as a child lived in various places in Britain, as his father worked as a hotel manager.

Education

He studied law at the University of Manchester.

Career

After auditioning for a radio drama, he made some 200 radio broadcasts for the British Broadcasting Corporation while still a student. In 1954 he became a trainee British Broadcasting Corporation radio producer for the Northern England region, making variety programmes with comedians such as Benny Hill and Morecambe and Wise, and rose to become senior programme producer for the region by 1962. He also began working as a television host on programmes including Come Dancing and, in 1960, an innovative early evening regional programme using mobile cameras, Lookout.

After going freelance in 1963, he presented the school quiz show Top of the Form on British Broadcasting Corporation television from the early 1960s until the mid-1970s.

Wheeler set the questions and provided voiceovers on the show, which was first broadcast in 1975 and which was based around betting odds. The show was initially hosted by comedian Jimmy Tarbuck before Wheeler briefly presented it in 1987-1988.

Between 1965 and 1985, Wheeler presented the British Broadcasting Corporation"s religious programme Songs of Praise on many occasions. He also appeared on Call My Bluff and Jackanory.

From the 1990s he presented nostalgic British Broadcasting Corporation Radio programmes drawing on the corporation"s archives, many covering the lives of show business performers in Britain earlier in the century.

He died after a lengthy illness in a Prestbury, Cheshire, hospice.

Achievements

• Foreign Yorkshire Television he presented the educational drama series How We Used to Live in 1969, and created the game show Winner Takes All.