Broadcaster and writer, born in Battersea, London, England, UK. Following national service, he became a radio actor (1954) and a television announcer (1957), but came to public prominence as a television newsreader (19608). In 1968 he became a freelance broadcaster, known for his genial interviewing style in Aspel and Company (198493), and as presenter of This is Your Life (19882003) and The Antiques Roadshow (from 2000). He writes regularly for magazines, and his books include one for children (Hang On!, 1982) and an autobiography (Polly Wants a Zebra, 1974).
From there he went to the BBC as a newsreader, becoming one of the country's most familiar faces during the 1960s and 1970s, as a regular presenter of the evening news.
He presented Capital Radio's mid-morning music and phone-in programme in London in the station's 1970s hey-day, as well as popular programmes such as Give Us a Clue, Childs Play and his own chat show on ITV.
He also guest starred twice on The Goodies, in which he appeared as himself — notably in the episode "Kitten Kong", which won the Silver Rose at the Montreux Light Entertainment Festival.
His career took a severe knock after his chat show Aspel and Company was seen to offer too much to Planet Hollywood and Matthew Freud's PR company to secure an interview with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
In 1993, Aspel began presenting the ITV supernatural programme Strange But True?, a series which explored supernatural phenonomen and unexplained mysteries.
Since 2000 he has presented BBC's Antiques Roadshow.
In 2006, he will play the role of Narrator in the new UK tour of Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show.
He is a supporter of the charity Cancer Research UK.
He was at one point favourite to be the new host of Countdown when Des Lynam leaves his role in December, though on 16 October the Daily Express reported that he had told an audience at a book launch he had already turned the job down.
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