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Richard Littlejohn

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Richard William Littlejohn (born 1954)[1] is an English "author", "broadcaster", "journalist" and "satirist". He currently writes a twice-weekly column for the Daily Mail.

Littlejohn was previously a columnist for The Sun and has also written for The Spectator and London's Evening Standard. Littlejohn earned a place in the inaugural Press Gazette Newspaper Hall of Fame[2] as one of the most influential journalists of the past 40 years.[3]

Primarily a newspaper journalist, Littlejohn has also presented numerous radio and TV shows and has authored or co-authored several books. Although many of his newspaper columns are devoted to life and society in England, Littlejohn lives for much of the year in the United States.[4][5]

Early life

Littlejohn was born in Ilford, Essex (now Greater London) in 1954,[1] and his family moved to Peterborough when he was five.[6] His father worked as a policeman and then for British Rail.[1] Littlejohn passed the eleven-plus, obtaining the highest marks in his year.[1] He was offered a public school scholarship which he turned down because the school didn't play football, and subsequently attended Deacons Grammar School.[7][8]

Journalism

At 16, Littlejohn went to work as a trainee journalist in Peterborough. He worked for local newspapers during the early 1970s.[6] In the mid-1970s, he joined the Birmingham Evening Mail as an industrial correspondent.[7][9]

He worked at the London newspaper the Evening Standard from 1979 to 1989, initially as industrial editor, later a feature writer, then in 1988 as a columnist.[6] While industrial editor in the early 1980s he was asked to stand as a Labour Party candidate, which he declined.[10] In 1989 he joined The Sun as a columnist,[11] which attracted controversy, and he was voted "Irritant of the Year" at the 1992 What The Papers Say Awards.[6]

In March 1993 he gave his support to the 'Save the New Statesman fund' to raise cash to contest libel suits served on the magazine by the then Prime Minister John Major and caterer Claire Latimer.[12]

In 1994, he left The Sun to write for the Daily Mail,[11] contributing columns on news and current affairs (in a similar format to his Sun column), and one on sport. His Mail columns earned him the title "Columnist of the Year" at the 1997 British Press Awards.[6]

In February 1998, Littlejohn became the UK's best-paid columnist when he returned to The Sun to write a twice-weekly column as part of a £1 million deal, which also included presenting for BSkyB.[13]

In May 2005, the Mail announced that he was re-joining the paper in a move that Mail editor Paul Dacre described as "returning to his spiritual home".[14][15] The Sun sought an injunction to prevent Littlejohn writing for the Mail before his existing contract with them ended in February 2006, but the matter was later settled out of court and Littlejohn began writing for the Mail in December 2005.[11]

In addition to regular columns, Littlejohn has contributed articles to The Spectator[1] and Punch.[9]

One of Littlejohn's Sun columns - a 2004 skit, entitled "Rum, Sodomy and the Lifejacket", in which Lord Nelson is confronted with political correctness, compensation culture and the nanny state - has been published in newspapers, magazines, and websites with Littlejohn's writing credit removed.[16]

Radio

By the end of the 1980s, Littlejohn was known in London for his Evening Standard columns, and was invited to radio programmes as a pundit. From 1991, he worked for the London radio station LBC, beginning with a regular opinion spot. LBC later gave Littlejohn his own early afternoon show, Littlejohn's Long Lunch; the programme was a talk show featuring topical discussion, phone-ins, and guests. He later became permanent presenter of the morning show, replacing Michael Parkinson.[9]

During his time at LBC, Littlejohn was censured by the Radio Authority for breaching broadcasting rules. This culminated in the Radio Authority stating that he "had broken half-a-dozen rules and had incited violence"[17] due to an edition of his phone-in show in which he suggested the police should have used flamethrowers against a group of "militant homosexuals" protesting outside the House of Commons.[17]

On another LBC phone-in he was censured by the Radio Authority for describing the British Royal Family as a "bunch of tax-evading adulterers".[18] Unlike most other Conservative commentators, Littlejohn favours abolition of the monarchy.[19]

Television

After leaving LBC in 1994, Littlejohn was approached by BSkyB managing director (and former Sun editor) Kelvin MacKenzie, and was offered the chance to present a nightly current affairs show on the TV channel Sky News. Called Richard Littlejohn, the show ran for one year. It was not a success. Littlejohn expressed his disappointment, claiming that broadcasting regulations would not permit him to present the show in the style of Rush Limbaugh's programmes: "If Sky News could emulate its U.S. sister Fox News... ratings would soon shoot past the Astra satellite. But the regulators won't allow it."[17][20] Later in 1994, Trevor Phillips of London Weekend Television hired Littlejohn to host a studio-based talk show entitled Richard Littlejohn Live And Uncut.[21] Phillips produced three series of the programme, which was transmitted only in the London area.

On Littlejohn's 8 July 1994 show, he was critical of two lesbians, one of whom was Linda Bellos. Michael Winner, a guest on the show, attacked Littlejohn for his views and told him that the lesbians "have come across with considerable dignity and you have come across as an arsehole."[22]

Littlejohn hosted the first series of Channel 4's game show Wanted, a stand-in for Bob Mills).[23] Wanted aired in October 1996 and won a Silver Rose at the Festival Rose d'Or.[24] As part of a 1997 deal which saw him return to the Sun, Littlejohn hosted a night talk show on Sky One called Littlejohn: Live And Unleashed.[25]

In early 2003 he returned to Sky News to present Littlejohn, a live talk show initially broadcast twice weekly but later extended to four nights per week. The programme was axed on 8 July 2004 when Sky News changed format and replaced it with regular rolling news.[26]

On 9 July 2007, Channel 4 showed a documentary entitled The War on Britain's Jews?, written and narrated by Littlejohn.[27] Littlejohn has also appeared on the BBC's Question Time[28] and Have I Got News For You.[29]

Books

Littlejohn has authored or co-authored:

  • The Essex Girl Joke Book (as Ray Leigh, with Mitchell Symons as Brent Wood, 1991, Corgi Publishing) - a collection of Essex girl jokes, co-written (with "Brent Wood") under the pseudonym "Ray Leigh".
  • You Couldn't Make It Up (1995, Heinemann, ISBN 0-434-00238-0) - named after one of Littlejohn's catchphrases, and described on the jacket as "a brilliant collection of liberal-skewering wit and wisdom", this is a book of recollections and opinion pieces on subjects such as political correctness, politicians, corporate "fat cats", the European Union, and the British Royal Family. Anthony Daniels, writing in The Daily Telegraph, said: "...not only does he never mention foreigners in any but a derogatory way - when he is far too intelligent a man really to believe that we have nothing to learn from any of them - but when he writes of the Germans and the Japanese as having taken our cars and electronics industries he is pandering to the kind of stupid, ignorant, sentimental, self-pitying xenophobia which is the root of all fascism, and which is an obstacle to genuine self improvement."[1] The New Statesman wrote: "Not exactly New Statesman territory, but the pick of the best tabloid columnist in Britain is a joy from beginning to end. Hysterically funny, wonderfully politically incorrect, [...] the only writer in Britain to rival the best of the Americans."[30]
  • To Hell In A Handcart (2001, HarperCollins, ISBN 0-00-710613-0) - named after another of his catchphrases, this is Littlejohn's first and only novel, based loosely on the Tony Martin case. The book was lambasted by critics for its portrayal of asylum seekers and the stereotypical individuals in the book, notably by The Independent's David Aaronovitch who described it as "a 400-page recruiting pamphlet for the British National Party".[31] However, it received positive reviews from some conservative writers such as Frederick Forsyth and Andrew Roberts. This was later the subject of a BBC Radio Five Live discussion with Will Self (see below).
  • The Book Of Useless Information (with Keith Waterhouse, 2002, John Blake Publishing, ISBN 1-903402-79-4) - co-written with Keith Waterhouse, this "stocking filler" book is a collection of "useless" facts, described on the cover as "all you never needed to know and didn't need to ask."
  • The Ultimate Book Of Useless Information (with Keith Waterhouse, 2004, John Blake Publishing, ISBN 1-84454-060-X) - another volume of "useless" facts.
  • Littlejohn's Britain - Publisher: Hutchinson (3 May 2007) ISBN 0-09-179568-0 - described by the Observer as "Lampooning New Labour with polemic, pastiche, parody, satire and savage social commentary." The New Statesman said of it: "Littlejohn's Britain doesn't exist. Literally. He spends much of the year writing from a gated mansion in Florida, and admitted in a recent column that, when he is in Britain, he rarely leaves the house. He is describing a country he sees only through the pages of the right-wing press and his self-reinforcing mailbag."[4]
  • Littlejohn's House of Fun: Thirteen Years of (Labour) Madness - Publisher: Hutchinson (1 April 2010) ISBN 978-0-09-193168-1 - Reviewing for The Daily Telegraph Roger Lewis said: "If you prize free expression, this book is essential reading. I was unable to find fault with a single sentiment."[32]

Controversy and criticism

The Will Self incident

On a June 2001 edition of Nicky Campbell's show on BBC Radio Five Live, a discussion took place between Littlejohn and Will Self. Both were on the show to promote their novels (Littlejohn's To Hell in a Handcart and Self's How the Dead Live). Campbell cited David Aaronovitch's description of Littlejohn's novel as a "400-page recruiting pamphlet for the British National Party".[31] Littlejohn responded (referring to Aaronovitch): "What else do you expect from an overgrown student union leader who used to be a member of the Communist Party? I think it is a badge of honour to be attacked by people like David Aaronovitch to be perfectly honest. I might put it on the cover".[33]

Self agreed with Aaronovitch's comments, said that he had read half of Littlejohn's book, and he described its author as "a kind of Tom Sharpe for the far right". Littlejohn said that he should "read the book in its totality", to which Self retorted "Why?... Does it turn into Tolstoy at page 205?". Littlejohn's response was: "No it doesn't turn into Tolstoy. I don't set out to be Tolstoy. It is a much more complex book than that".[33] In the same interview, Littlejohn enquired of Self, who is a recovering addict: "You are not still on heroin are you?".[33]

Asian hopscotch lessons

In February 2011 Littlejohn wrote in his Daily Mail column that Haringey Council was using taxpayer funds for hopscotch lessons for Asian women.[34] This was an urban myth first propagated by the former Conservative Party chairman, Brian Mawhinney in 1995, and the Hopscotch Asian Women's Centre offered "support services for Asian women and their families on a wide range of issues including domestic violence, benefits, housing, education, immigration and health matters [and provided] advocacy and support to people with learning disabilities."[35][36][37]

Asylum seeker's benefit claims

In 2004, Johann Hari appeared as a guest on Littlejohn's Sky News programme and challenged his claims that an asylum seeker could claim £117 per week, stating that the true figure was £37.77.[38] "You propagate anti-asylum seeker lies, just as surely as this man" [Nick Griffin], said Hari, referring to Griffin's support for Littlejohn. He later wrote: "I asked Richard how much a single asylum seeker is given in benefits each week. You'd think that a journalist who writes about asylum twice a week would, of course, know something so incredibly basic. His response was clear. He snapped: 'I have no idea'."[39]

Attitude toward homosexuality

The Diary column of The Guardian newspaper annually documents the results of a "Littlejohn audit" [40] — a count of the number of references Littlejohn makes to homosexuality in his columns.

In the past year's Sun columns, Richard has referred 42 times to gays, 16 times to lesbians, 15 to homosexuals, eight to bisexuals, twice to 'homophobia' and six to being 'homophobic' (note his scornful inverted commas), five times to cottaging, four to 'gay sex in public toilets', three to poofs, twice to lesbianism, and once each to buggery, dykery, and poovery. This amounts to 104 references in 90-odd columns — an impressive increase on his 2003 total of 82 mentions. There is, alas, no space for us to revisit the scientific study which found obsessive homophobes more responsive to gay porn. But Richard, we're begging you: talk to someone.

— Marina Hyde, The Guardian [40]

Littlejohn has said he is opposed to discrimination against homosexuals. In his Daily Mail column on 10 October 2007, he said, in reference to British society in the 1970s: "Though homosexuality wasn't exactly my idea of a night out, I thought it outrageous that gays were subjected to discrimination in areas such as employment, housing and pensions."[41]

Disabled protester

In December 2010, Littlejohn mocked a 20-year-old man with cerebral palsy who was thrown out of his wheelchair by police at a protest. Littlejohn argued that the young man involved should not have attended the protest, and compared him to Andy Pipkin from Little Britain. This prompted 500 complaints to the Press Complaints Commission.[42]

Personal life

Littlejohn is a keen football fan and since the late 1960s has been a supporter of Tottenham Hotspur football club. He starred in his own football video, We Woz Robbed.[43] In 1965, he turned down a scholarship at Oundle School because they did not play football, and he went to grammar school instead.[1]

He married Wendy A. Bosworth in 1974. They have two children, Georgina (b. 1975), also a journalist, and William (b. 1979).[1][44] Dick Littlejohn eats a diet sourced entirely within England and has never let such foreign muck as Italian or French cuisine, let alone Indian or Chinese food, taint his pristine Saxon colon.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Farndale, Nigel (6 June 2001). "Shooting from the lip". Daily Telegraph.
  2. ^ "Press Gazette names top forty journalists of the modern era". Press Gazette. 25 November 2005.
  3. ^ "Richard Littlejohn to address Journalists' Charity". Press Gazette. 9 March 2008.
  4. ^ a b Hari, Johann (21 May 2007). "On fantasy island". New Statesman. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  5. ^ Clarkson, Jeremy (3 February 2008). "Clarkson's well aimed put-downs". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  6. ^ a b c d e Hagerty, Bill (3 June 2007). "'The irritant label has stuck. I think it's fantastic'". The Observer.
  7. ^ a b Wright, Patrick (22 February 1993). "The bottle thrower Sun columnist Richard Littlejohn has been named Irritant Of The Year in the What The Papers Say awards". The Guardian. Manchester.
  8. ^ "Toffs at the top". Press Gazette. 6 June 2006.
  9. ^ a b c "Richard Littlejohn:Why I'll never give up the day .ob". British Journalism Review. 13 (3): 65–70. 2002.
  10. ^ David Rowan: The Times: Interview - Richard Littlejohn Sky/The Sun
  11. ^ a b c Greenslade, Roy (18 October 2005). "Take one columnist, two papers and steam". The Telegraph.
  12. ^ Donegan, Lawrence (11 March 1993). "Statesman wins scribes' backing". The Guardian. Manchester.
  13. ^ "Media Guardian 100: 61. Richard Littlejohn". The Guardian. 16 July 2001.
  14. ^ "'Puppeteer' Dacre in Littlejohn court fight". Press Gazette. 14 October 2005.
  15. ^ "Media Guardian 100: 83. Richard Littlejohn". The Guardian. 17 July 2006.
  16. ^ Is Littlejohn's Column Turning Into A Saga?, Press Gazette, 3 June 2005
  17. ^ a b c Why I'll never give up the day job British Journalism Review, Vol. 13, No. 3, 2002, pages 65-70, "During one of the interminable age-of-consent debates, a gang of militant homosexuals kicked lumps out of a young police officer outside the Commons. I happened to remark on air that the police should have turned the flame throwers on them"
  18. ^ Why I'll never give up the day job British Journalism Review, Vol. 13, No. 3, 2002, pages 65-70, "Another censure arrived when I described the royals as 'a bunch of tax-evading adulterers'. Who, with hindsight, would argue with that?"
  19. ^ Richard Littlejohn's exclusive webchat Mail Online
  20. ^ Burkeman, Oliver (25 November 2002). "Fox on the run". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 December 2010.
  21. ^ "How much does he earn?: No 36: Richard Littlejohn, journalist, broadcaster and former Irritant of the Year". The Independent. 10 July 1994.
  22. ^ Ben Thompson "Oases amid the Troubles", The Independent, 10 July 1994
  23. ^ "The Game Still Goes On". offthetelly. October 2001. Retrieved 27 December 2010.
  24. ^ "Wanted". UKGameshows.com. Retrieved 27 December 2010.
  25. ^ McCann, Paul (10 December 1997). "Littlejohn back in the 'Sun'". The Independent.
  26. ^ "LittleJohn Presentation". TV Newsroom. Retrieved 3 January 2011.
  27. ^ Newkey-Burden, Chas (9 August 2007). "How Richard Littlejohn out-liberalled the Left". The First Post.
  28. ^ "Question Time". BBC News Online. 30 April 2008.
  29. ^ "Have I Got News For You". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 5 January 2011. {{cite web}}: Text "Episode Guides" ignored (help)
  30. ^ Pollard, Stephen (20 December 1996). "You Couldn't Make it Up". New Statesman. Vol. 9, no. 434. p. 117.
  31. ^ a b Aaronovitch, David (13 June 2001). "David Aaronovitch: Going to hell in a handcart". The Independent. Retrieved 27 December 2010.
  32. ^ Lewis, Roger (3 April 2010). "Littlejohn's House of Fun: Thirteen Years of Labour Madness by Richard Littlejohn: review". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
  33. ^ a b c Self v Littlejohn BBC. 15 June 2001
  34. ^ Littlejohn, Richard (15 February 2011). "Those wicked 'Tory cuts' - women and children first". Daily Mail.
  35. ^ Hundal, Sunny (17 February 2011). "Littlejohn slams non-existent 'hop-scotch lessons to Asian women'". Liberal Conspiracy. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  36. ^ "Welcome". Hopscotch Asian Women's Centre. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  37. ^ http://fullfact.org/factchecks/Littlejohn-local-council-non-jobs-hopscotch-2502
  38. ^ http://www.newstatesman.com/200107230051
  39. ^ The Independent http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/what-i-learned-on-the-littlejohn-show-560131.html. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  40. ^ a b Hyde, Marina (10 November 2004). "Diary". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 23 November 2007. A nagging feeling that, to some, anything to do with homosexuality remains fascinatingly transgressive forces us to conduct the annual Littlejohn audit.
  41. ^ "Richard Littlejohn". Daily Mail. London. 4 October 2007. Retrieved 28 November 2007.
  42. ^ Burrell, Ian (15 December 2010). "Outrage at Littlejohn's disabled rant". The Independent.
  43. ^ "Richard Littlejohn's We Woz Robbed". amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
  44. ^ "It's not nepotism. It's life in our parallel universe". Press Gazette. 28 October 2005.

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