On Sunday, 31 January 2016 a nation used to waking ‘up to Wogan’ on his Radio 2 breakfast show instead awoke to the shocking news that Sir Terry Wogan had passed away at the age of seventy-seven.

One of Britain’s most-loved broadcasters, Terry Wogan had been a fixture on the airwaves for over five decades with his dry, laconic wit and commentary making him instantly recognisable to his legions of fans. Hosting a number of radio shows for the BBC over the years, including Weekend Wogan right up until November 2015, Wogan broadcast to a record-breaking 8 million listeners at his peak, winning numerous popularity polls over the course of his career.

Not content with ruling the airwaves, his long-running talk show Wogan is now the stuff of TV legend, as are his sardonic observations on the Eurovision Song Contest which made him the face of Eurovision to many, even today. But perhaps his most important contribution to British society, and the one of which he was most proud, was his work with Pudsey the Bear to raise an astounding ?600 million for Children in Need since he presented the very first show in 1980.

Author Emily Herbert draws on the reminiscences of many famous friends and colleagues to create an authoritative and entertaining tribute to one of the funniest, most lovable and prolific broadcasters of all time.

Sir Terry Wogan – A Life in Laughter 1938–2016