John McCririck - died aged 79
John McCririck - died aged 79

Legendary horse racing broadcaster and Sporting Life journalist John McCririck dies aged 79


Legendary horse racing journalist and broadcaster John McCririck has died at the age of 79.

Scroll further down for tributes to the racing legend

McCririck was well known for his outlandish dress sense and his ebullient personality in the betting ring during his roles on TV, first for ITV and latterly for Channel 4.

Prior to that he worked for the Sporting Life newspaper and in recent years he had appeared on At The Races.

McCririck is survived his wife of 48 years, Jenny.

A statement released by his family said: "Award-winning journalist, broadcaster and for many years the face of British horse racing, John McCririck, passed away at a London hospital on Friday, July 5 aged 79.

"John's interest in horse racing and betting began at Harrow where he was the school bookie. On leaving he worked for an illegal street bookmaker then legally on-course where he learned the art of tic-tac, clerking bets and making a book.

"John cut his teeth in racing journalism on 'Formindex', a tipping sheet otherwise known as 'The Golden Guide'. He went on to write for the Sporting Life where he won British Press Awards, 'Specialist Writer of the Year' and 'Campaigning Journalist of the Year'.

"John joined ITV in 1981 for Shergar's Derby then became a household name as part of the Channel 4 Racing team when they took over coverage of the sport in 1984.

"His flamboyant broadcasting style from the heart of betting ring proved extremely popular with racing fans and beyond.

"John continued to work for Channel 4 Racing until 2013, as well as satellite channel At The Races.

"In this time he transcended the world of racing, appearing on numerous mainstream TV news and light entertainment programmes including Question Time, The Weakest Link, Celebrity Wife Swap and Celebrity Big Brother in 2005 and 2010.

"Despite suffering ill health in recent months, John continued to make several TV and radio appearances.

"He is survived by Jenny, his wife of 48 years. His funeral will be private."

Tributes flood in for Big Mac

The British Horseracing Authority paid tribute to McCririck, tweeting: "We are saddened to hear of the passing of John McCririck.

"Throughout a lengthy and colourful career, one thing was always clear - his enduring passion and love for the sport of horseracing.

"He was a recognisable figure and resonated with the wider public. Our condolences go to his family."

Jim McGrath, a long-time colleague of McCririck's at Channel 4, told Sky Sports Racing: "John was a legend, one of few people who transcended racing.

"If you went anywhere in racing in the 1980s and spoke to people with no interest in racing, they would always ask if you knew him. A lot outside racing knew him but nothing about racing, he was larger than life.

"He was a very good journalist for the Sporting Life. In the later years of his career, he very much went down the media route, but that gets away from the fact that John had expert knowledge and was a very hard worker. He was one of the first in the press room with his figures and stats, which he adored.

"We had very differing opinions, but he cared about the ordinary punter and he did stand up for them."

Another of his Channel 4 colleagues, former champion jockey John Francome, also paid tribute.

"I knew he'd been ill for a while. He was eccentric, incredibly generous - he was brilliant at his job. He was great company and I loved him. I feel very sorry for Jenny as they were a great team.

"He reached outside the sport - the two names that were mentioned by people outside racing were Frankie Dettori and Big Mac. He had a persona for TV, he was nothing like what you saw on screen, he was a lovely man.

"You'd never want to get into an argument with him because he wouldn't argue with you unless he's researched it to the nth degree!"

Frankie Dettori paid tribute to a "larger than life character" who was "very knowledgeable about racing". Dettori is one of the genuine household names in racing, a tag that McCririck also carried, and the pair enjoyed many moments together over the years, as they struck up a good friendship.

"I met him for the first time when I was very young. I was 16 and I was an apprentice. He was a big part of my racing life since I started," Dettori told PA.

"He was very flamboyant and controversial, but I always got on really well with him. We did a few things together and he will be missed.

"He did put on a bit of a show, but underneath it all he worked very hard and was very knowledgeable about racing.

"He was a larger than life character. I'm very sad for Jenny, his wife, and all of his family."

Multiple champion jumps rider Sir Anthony McCoy added his memories of 'Big Mac'.

"John was just about the most recognisable figure in horse racing when I came to England, people had only just heard of Frankie Dettori, so it was John or Lester Piggott," said McCoy.

"That says a lot about him to say that he wasn't a trainer, owner or jockey. He had attitude, he had a voice and said what he thought, he wasn't frightened of upsetting somebody.

"I don't think I was ever on the end of one of his jockey bashings - thankfully.

"There's a good chance in this day and age, with everything needing to be so politically correct, he might not have been the great character on TV now that he was in the 80s and 90s.

"You don't get away now with saying what Big Mac or John Francome did, so for that reason it's a lot harder now and more restrictive than then, but back in the day that team did a great job of representing horse racing.

"They made it as easy and enjoyable to watch as possible, but the world is changing.

"He was very good at promoting the sport, he was a very bright man, well educated and, while he had an opinion, what you have to say is he tried to be constructive. He was a punters' man, that's what he was there for.

"I thought he was a bit shy off camera, quietly spoken. At first he was the sort of man you'd have to go up to to talk to rather than the other way and I used to think it was arrogance or ignorance, but soon realised he was a bit shy.

"I never watched Big Brother, but flicked it on a couple of times when he was in there and when he was walking around in those white pants he certainly left an impression!"

Derek Thompson worked with McCririck for over 20 years on Channel 4 Racing and afforded him the highest compliment.

"Apart from the great guy that he was on TV, he was the most professional guy I ever worked with," said Thompson.

"He did everything twice, in two racecards, and had two watches. When I asked him why he said, 'in case I lose a racecard and in case my watch stops', and looked at me as if I'd asked an incredibly stupid question.

"He was man who had a love of racing, he was a former journalist of the year and whenever I was in trouble on live TV, I could go to him and he would help me out.

"He also came up with the phrase 'The Morning Line' after Channel 4 had been asked to come up with a programme on a Saturday morning.

"Off camera he was a bit different, a real gentleman, a lovely man - I stayed with him and The Booby, as we called his wife Jenny, they had a nice lifestyle.

"He put racing on the map. Racing owes him a big debt because he was the voice, face, style and enigma of British racing."

Tanya Stevenson, John McCririck's sidekick on Channel 4 Racing in the betting ring for 15 years, enjoyed every minute of her time working alongside someone she described as her "hero".

The pair were an unlikely double act, but Stevenson revealed she shared lots of interests with McCririck, who has died at the age of 79.

"It's terrible, very sad news indeed," she said.

"I loved him dearly - I worked with one of my heroes and I was so lucky. I worked with him for 15 years and the majority of that time was on air alongside him. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't have been able to do that. He was the one who encouraged me the whole time with his support.

"We hit it off from the start. We both loved our sport, we both loved the betting industry. Unfortunately I'm Arsenal and he was Newcastle. We both loved NFL, we both loved cricket. He was even sweet enough to take me to cricket a couple of times. He was an absolute hero.

"It was an absolute privilege to say I worked alongside him. We had so many funny times."

Stevenson revealed the general public did not know the "real" McCririck.

"I don't think people appreciated or saw the real side of him, the things he did for charity," she told PA.

"He based his persona on trying to be a devil's advocate and villain to incite discussions and debate, and then they all picked him out for picking the wrong side. People would say, 'how on earth do you work with him' and I would say, 'how on earth did he work with me'. I was so lucky. Bless him. He will be missed."

Alice Plunkett was another female colleague who had the utmost respect for McCririck.

"I worked with John for 20 years. I felt extremely privileged, for when I joined Channel 4 Racing they had such an iconic team. They revolutionised racing. At that point it had been very straitlaced with the BBC," she said.

"John was just frustratingly brilliant. Everybody always wanted me to say I didn't like him, but I loved him very dearly. He called me the 'saucy minx'. I was a young upstart and he always said to me to be as rude as I liked on screen as that's what people want.

"Everything he did on screen he did with a real twinkle and with kindness behind it.

"He was just a genuine supporter of young people, women - weirdly. What people saw and what he actually was were a long away apart. He was great to Tanya, he was great to me and I'll always be so grateful as to how he looked after me when I started out and knew nothing.

"He was a great journalist. He never, ever came to work unprepared. He was such a worker. All that flap and nonsense was one thing, but he turned up every day with so much background work.

"He knew exactly what was going on. In the end he probably became a caricature of himself. The (Celebrity) Big Brother stuff didn't do him any favours, but at heart was a brilliant journalist.

"He was a consummate professional and passionate about racing.

"He was ahead of his time. People have tried to copy him but no one has had the class and style to do it the way he did.

"I had the utmost respect for him and the Booby (his wife, Jenny), who made him so single-minded."

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