Jonathan Dimbleby facts
By David Berkley
Broadcasting dynasty
With a family pedigree that includes equally-famous older brother David and legendary father Richard, it was perhaps inevitable that Jonathan Dimbleby should follow in their illustrious footsteps. Both his father and his brother have had long and distinguished careers as political broadcasters and, despite originally harbouring ambitions to be a farmer, Jonathan joined the BBC in 1969 after completing a degree in Philosophy at University College London.Famous father
Dad Richard is considered a broadcasting legend in Britain, having presented flagship BBC current affairs programme Panorama in the 1950s and 60s - a position also filled by brother David in later years - and reporting on major events such as the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, and the funerals of John F. Kennedy and Winston Churchill.Following illustrious footsteps
Between them, the Dimbleby brothers are doing much to maintain their father’s impressive legacy. Jonathan helped make his name by presenting BBC Radio Four’s foremost political discussion programme Any Questions and its sister show Any Answers? and has done so every week since 1987. Brother David famously chairs the TV version of the panel show, Question Time, on BBC One, which he has presented weekly since 1994.Charity work
Among his many interests outside of broadcasting, Jonathan is heavily involved alongside his brother in the Richard Dimbleby Cancer Fund, a charity established in their father’s memory to raise funds for cancer research at London’s St. Thomas’ Hospital. Father Richard, a 40-a-day chain smoker, died from cancer in 1965 at the age of 52.Writing career
In addition to his activities as a broadcaster, Jonathan is a several-times published author. Not only has he written a biography of his father, but he has also published an account of the life of Prince Charles. Other works include The Palestinians, an account of the plight of the Palestinian people; The Last Governor, on the handover of Hong-Kong back to the Chinese; and Russia: A Journey to the Heart of a Land and Its People, to accompany the BBC series on the country which so fascinated Dimbleby.Royal confession
Jonathan was afforded unprecedented access to the life and personal archives of the heir to the British throne during his two years of research prior to the 1994 publication of The Prince of Wales: A Biography. This enabled him to also complete a television documentary, Charles, The Private Man, the Public Role, which included the interview during which Charles famously admitted his infidelity with Camilla Parker-Bowles whilst still married to Princess Diana.Country lover
Despite his early career change of heart, Jonathan has always maintained a strong interest in rural pursuits. He is a trained show jumper, and is President of the Soil Association as well as Vice-President of the Council for the Protection of Rural England. His passion for all things bucolic has extended to organic food in recent years, having set up and run his own organic farm, and published another book in 2001, The Origins of the Organic Movement.Tabloid news
Unfortunately for a man who once stated in an interview: “I love my privacy and I choose to guard it”, Jonathan found his private life catapulted onto the tabloids in 2003, after leaving his wife of 35 years, Bel, to live with his lover, opera singer Susan Chilcott. Chilcott was suffering from breast cancer, and Jonathan cared for her for four months before she passed away. He has since remarried to publicist Jessica Ray in 2007, and had another child, Daisy - his third following two children from his first marriage.Next generation Dimblebys
It will not come as a surprise to many to learn that Jonathan’s two eldest children have followed in the family tradition and carved out for themselves careers in the media. Kitty Dimblebly is a journalist for the Daily Mail, whilst Daniel Dimbleby is a TV producer, ensuring that the legacy begun by their famous grandfather lives on.Promo Banner