Donny MacLeod
| Donny MacLeod | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Donald B. MacLeod July 1, 1932 Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Scotland |
| Died | September 6, 1984 (aged 52) |
| Occupation | Television presenter |
Donald B. MacLeod (1 July 1932 – 6 September 1984), popularly known as Donny MacLeod and Donny B, was a Scottish TV presenter. MacLeod is best known for appearing on the BBC 1 afternoon show Pebble Mill at One.
Early life and career
MacLeod was born in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis. After National Service in the Royal Navy, he studied in Glasgow and then at Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen, before returning to teach art at the Nicolson Institute in Stornoway.[1]
He stood for election to the UK Parliament at the United Kingdom general election, 1959 for his home constituency of The Western Isles as a Liberal Party candidate, in a campaign described as "one of the most charismatic in Island memory".[1] The local Conservative Party did not contest the election and were happy to recommend him to their supporters. However, he was defeated by the Labour candidate. At the United Kingdom general election, 1964 he again contested The Western Isles for the Liberal Party, but this time, the Conservatives decided to run their own candidate. He finished second, again behind the Labour candidate.
After occasional print journalism pieces MacLeod joined Grampian Television in Aberdeen as a reporter, before moving to the BBC and in 1970 joining the presenting team of its early evening magazine programme Nationwide, where features he fronted included a dieting item, Slim '72. As a result of their success on the programme, he and another Nationwide reporter Bob Langley transferred to Birmingham in 1972 to launch a new lunchtime features programme Pebble Mill at One, which became an immediate success. MacLeod remained a key presenter on the show from its beginning in 1972 until his death.
MacLeod was also known for his role as the presenter of the 1982 and 1983 World's Strongest Man competitions.
Death
MacLeod died from a heart attack in 1984, aged 52, after a short struggle with bowel cancer.[2]
Personal life
Macleod's oldest son is Channel 4 continuity announcer David MacLeod. His second son Iain is Executive Director of the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center in New Hampshire, USA and a noted expert on birds. His third son Kevin is a star of the popular Scottish Theater Group The Singing Kettle. His daughter Catherine is a business owner in Aberdeenshire.
References
- 1 2 Stornoway Broadcasting legend fondly remembered, Hebrides News, 7 December 2010
- ↑ Heartbreak of Donny's death: as Pebble Mill closes we find out what's become of its famous faces, Sunday Mercury, 17 December 2000