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Evans, Chris
Category: Performer
Christopher James "Chris" Evans (born 1 April 1966) is an English presenter, businessman and producer for radio and television.
We had some difficulty in deciding how to classify him – businessman or performer? But his heart appears to be in performing, so that is why he is here.
He is both a father and a grandfather.
Evans has a daughter, Jade (born 1986), by former fiancé Alison Ward. In January 2015, Evans became a grandfather when his daughter Jade gave birth to her first child, a boy named Teddy.
Evans married Natasha Shishmanian on Saturday 11 August 2007. Their son, Noah Nicholas Martin, was born on 10 February 2009. On 1 June 2012, Natasha gave birth to the couple's second son Eli Alfred Michael.
In between Evans had a succession of girlfriends and wives. He married Carol McGiffin in 1991 but they split in 1994. And during his time at BBC Radio 1 and Virgin, Evans had well publicised relationships with Kim Wilde, model Rachel Tatton-Brown, assistant producer Suzi Aplin, Anthea Turner, Geri Halliwell, and Melanie Sykes. In 2001, Evans married Billie Piper. Evans and Piper finally divorced in May 2007, but have remained ‘on good terms’.
Evans was born in Warrington, England, the youngest child of three - brother David (born 1953) and sister Diane (born 1963). He went to Boteler Grammar School, Warrington, which then became a comprehensive school. He left at 16. His father died when he was only 13 and to help his Mum he took part-time work at an outlet of T. J. & B. McLoughlin's newsagent–tobacconist in Woolston, and ran an alternative tuck-shop at Padgate High School, which was the comprehensive school he attended for the final three years of his secondary education.
He started his broadcasting career working for Piccadilly Radio, Manchester, as a teenager, before moving to London as a presenter for the BBC's Greater London Radio and then Channel 4 television, where The Big Breakfast made him a celebrity.
Evans left The Big Breakfast on 29 September 1994 and formed his own television production company, Ginger Productions. Its first major programme, Don't Forget Your Toothbrush, was broadcast between 1994 and 1995. In April 1995, Evans returned to radio to host the flagship Radio 1 Breakfast Show. Evans also began making editions of Channel 4's TFI Friday from 1996. The show – devised, produced and hosted by Evans through his Ginger Media company – combined celebrity interviews, musical guests and daft games and competitions.
After Evans left Radio 1, he was hired by Virgin Radio to host its breakfast show, his first show was on 13 October 1997. On 9 December, with the assistance of investors, Evans' vehicle Ginger Media Group bought Virgin Radio from Branson for £85m, to control the interests both of Ginger Productions and Virgin Radio. On 14 March 2000, Evans agreed the sale of Ginger Media Group to SMG plc for £225m. The sale made Evans the highest paid entertainer in the UK in 2000, estimated by the Sunday Times Rich List to have been paid around £35.5million.
In 2005, he started a new career on BBC Radio 2, hosting the long-running Drivetime programme, before moving in 2010 to host the Chris Evans Breakfast Show every weekday morning. He presents The One Show on Fridays. In 2015 he signed a three-year deal to lead a new Top Gear line-up.
Why is he on the site?
In March 2008, Evans admitted in his Radio 2 blog that he had taken "magic mushrooms" a couple of days before he attended a Meat Loaf concert at the Royal Albert Hall.
Wikipedia doubts the veracity of the story, but then Wikipedia would. It is rather a good account.
Observations
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