Michael Buerk was born on February 18, 1946 in Solihull, Warwickshire, England as Michael Duncan Buerk. He is an actor, known for Tobacco Wars (1999), I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! (2002) and I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! NOW! (2002). He has been married to Christine Buerk since 1968. They have two children.
In a few short weeks, the name Jimmy Savile has become a byword for evil in an almost 17th-century kind of moral frenzy, his gravestone consigned to landfill, even demands his body be dug up, burned and scattered.
2
[on Sir Jimmy Savile] He was an institution when, as it now turns out, he should have been in one.
3
[on reporting from South Africa in the 1980s] Our white suburbs were dedicated to the pursuit of graciousness. When our blacks were hungry, we didn't tell them to eat cake, we ate it ourselves.
4
[on "Do They Know It's Christmas" by Band Aid] It's a nice song but it's complete bollocks, actually.
5
I didn't see Live Aid (1985). I knew it was happening, but South African television didn't carry it. South Africa was the story of the day with townships in flames and riots. On the day of Live Aid I was actually being teargassed by the police. The money raised, however, would have saved about one to two million lives. Live Aid made a terrific difference. But actually, the key thing it did, which utterly dwarfed Band Aid and Live Aid, was to force a change of policy in the EU and particularly in the UK and America. The public opinion that they mobilised and represented was what counted.
6
[on the BBC's coverage of the Diamond Jubilee in 2012] The one enduring British institution [the Monarchy] was mocked by another that had shamefully lost its way. On the screen, a succession of Daytime airheads preened themselves, or gossiped with even more vacuous D-list "celebrities". With barely an exception, they were cringingly inept. Nobody knew anything, nobody cared. The main presenter couldn't even work out what to call the Queen. The Dunkirk Little Ships, the most evocative reminders of this country's bravest hour, were ignored so that a pneumatic bird-brain from Strictly Come Dancing could talk to transvestites in Battersea Park. I was so ashamed of the BBC I would have wept if I hadn't been so angry. The worst thing was that it was deliberate - planned that way to be "light" and "inclusive". The BBC actually congratulated itself, and the executive ultimately responsible was promptly promoted to become the most disastrous director-general in the Corporation's history.
7
You either loved Jimmy Savile or loathed him. Easy choice for me: he was totally talentless, tiresome on air and I later found repellent in person.
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Pineapple Dance Studios
2010
TV Series
Narrator
Off Beat
2006
Short
Newsreader (voice)
Wren: The Man Who Built Britain
2004
TV Movie documentary
Presenter
Dangerfield
1998
TV Series
TV Newsreader
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Countdown
2015
TV Series performer - 1 episode
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Mastermind
2011
TV Series
Himself
All Star Mr & Mrs
2010
TV Series
Himself
Would I Lie to You?
2008
TV Series
Himself
Celebrity Masterchef
2008
TV Series
Himself
Nation on Film
2007
TV Series documentary
Himself - Narrator
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
2007
TV Series
Himself
Richard & Judy
2004-2006
TV Series
Himself
Have I Got News for You
1994-2006
TV Series
Himself / Himself - Guest Presenter
Gay Vicars
2006
TV Movie documentary
Himself (uncredited)
University Challenge
2005-2006
TV Series
Himself
2005 TV Moments
2005
TV Movie
Himself
Air Emergency
2005
TV Series documentary
Himself - BBC Correspondent
Children in Need
2003-2005
TV Series
Himself / Himself - Performer
Don't Get Me Started!
2005
TV Series documentary
Himself - Presenter
Live Aid Remembered
2005
TV Movie documentary
Himself
The Band Aid Story
2004
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Tubridy Tonight
2004
TV Series
Himself
The Heaven and Earth Show
2004
TV Series
Himself
The Wright Stuff
2004
TV Series
Guest Panelist
Band Aid: The Song That Rocked the World
2004
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Breakfast
2004
TV Series
Himself
2003 TV Moments
2004
TV Movie documentary
Himself - Audience Member
Breakfast with Frost
2004
TV Series
Himself
Test the Nation: The 2003 Test
2003
TV Movie documentary
Celebrity Participant
Timeshift
2003
TV Series documentary
Himself / Himself - Broadcaster
Open House
2001
TV Series documentary
Himself
Vote 2001
2001
TV Movie
Himself
A Perfect Two Ronnies Show
2001
TV Movie documentary
This Is Your Life
2000-2001
TV Series documentary
Himself
BBC News at Ten O'Clock
2001
TV Series
Himself - Newsreader
Soul of Britain
2000
TV Series documentary
Himself - Presenter
When Louis Met... Jimmy
2000
TV Special documentary
Himself (uncredited)
2000 Today
1999
TV Movie
Himself
The 100 Greatest TV Moments
1999
TV Special
Himself
Total Eclipse Live
1999
TV Special
Himself - Presenter
Tobacco Wars
1999
TV Movie documentary
Himself - Presenter
An Audience with Ronnie Corbett
1997
TV Movie
Himself - Audience Member (uncredited)
Election 97
1997
TV Movie
Himself - Reporter
Drop the Dead Donkey
1994
TV Series
Himself
999
1992-1994
TV Series documentary
Himself - Presenter
Panorama
1994
TV Series documentary
Himself - Interviewer
Election 92
1992
TV Movie
Himself - Reporter
No Easy Road
1988
Documentary short
Himself - Narrator
The Media Show
1988
TV Series documentary
Himself
Everyman
1987
TV Series documentary
Himself - Presenter
Nine O'Clock News
1985
TV Series
Himself - Newsreader
Six O'Clock News
1984
TV Series
Himself - Reporter
Midlands Today
1964
TV Series
Himself - Presenter
Royal Recipes
2017
TV Series documentary
Himself - Presenter
When Television Goes Horribly Wrong
2016
TV Movie documentary
Himself - Journalist & Newsreader
20 Moments That Rocked the 00s
2015
TV Movie documentary
Himself - Broadcaster
20 Moments That Rocked the 90s
2015
TV Movie documentary
Himself - Broadcaster
20 Moments That Rocked the 80's
2015
TV Movie documentary
Himself - Former BBC South Africa Correspondent / Journalist / Broadcaster
Countdown
2015
TV Series
Himself - Dictionary Corner
Dispatches
2015
TV Series documentary
Himself - Presenter
I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!
2004-2014
TV Series
Himself
I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! NOW!
2014
TV Series
Himself
Celebrity Antiques Road Trip
2014
TV Series
Himself
Inside the National Trust
2013
TV Series documentary
Himself
Britain's Secret Homes
2013
TV Series documentary
Himself - Presenter
The Big Fat Quiz of the 90s
2012
TV Special
Himself
Britain's Secret Treasures
2012
TV Series documentary
Himself - Presenter
The One Show
2012
TV Series
Himself - Guest
Britain's Favourite Christmas Songs
2011
TV Movie documentary
Himself - BBC News Reporter
Celebrity Chase
2011
TV Series
Himself
Tonight with Trevor McDonald
2011
TV Series documentary
Himself
Louie Spence's Showbusiness
2011
TV Series
Himself - Narrator
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Louis Theroux: Savile
2016
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Alan Shearer's Euro 96: When Football Came Home
2016
TV Movie documentary
Himself
20 Moments That Rocked Pop
2015
TV Movie documentary
Himself (uncredited)
Timeshift
2014
TV Series documentary
Himself - TV Presenter
Nice or Nasty?: The Making of Vengeance on Varos
2012
Video documentary
Himself - News Presenter (uncredited)
The Unforgettable Russell Harty
2012
TV Movie documentary
Himself - BBC Newsreader announcing Russell's death
When Harvey Met Bob
2010
TV Movie
Himself - TV newsreader (uncredited)
Points West
2010
TV Series
Himself
The Funny Side of...
2009
TV Series documentary
Himself
Horizon
2008
TV Series documentary
Himself
The Funny Side of the News
2007
TV Movie
Himself (uncredited)
The Blair Years
2007
TV Series documentary
Himself
Britain's Biggest Storm
2007
TV Movie documentary
Himself
The Accused
2006
TV Movie
Himself (uncredited)
Have I Got News for You
1992-2005
TV Series
Himself
Have I Got News for You: The Best of the Guest Presenters - Volume 2
2005
Video
Himself
The Deal
2003
TV Movie
Himself (uncredited)
The Very Best of 'Have I Got News for You'
2002
Video
Himself (uncredited)
TV Offal
1998
TV Series
Himself
Auntie's Bloomers
1991
TV Series documentary
Himself
Mis-Takes
1985
Video
Himself (uncredited)
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1985
BAFTA TV Award
BAFTA Awards
Best Actuality Coverage
Nine O'Clock News (1970)
Known for movies
Tobacco Wars (1999) as Himself - Presenter
I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! (2004-2014) as Himself
I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! NOW! (2014) as Himself
Britain's Secret Treasures (2012) as Himself - Presenter