It's Dee Time



The rise and rapid fall of Simon Dee is a morality tale of the 1960s. Star of radio, TV, and even the odd film appearance, for six years and then nothing again for nearly two decades.

His radio broadcasting career started with the launch of Radio Caroline in the Easter of 1964, he was at the station for a year. Back on shore he joined the BBC Light Programme presenting ‘Midday Spin’ and ‘Housewives’ Choice’. In 1966 he was hosting a Saturday night show between 11 p.m. and 1.30 a.m. Simon was also working on Radio Luxembourg with shows like ‘Simon’s Scene’, ‘Battle of the Giants’ and ‘Night and Dee’.

Simon Dee interview on Radio Caroline 1964

When Radio 1 started in late 1967 he was one of the initial team with Monday’s ‘Midday Spin’. But his stay was short-lived as he dedicated more time to his Saturday night BBC1 chat show ‘Dee Time’. After a dispute over pay with the BBC in 1969 and then a falling out with LWT the year after he didn’t appear regularly on air again until 1987 when Radio 2 asked him to host ‘Sounds of the Sixties’.

In 1984 Simon appeared on Radio 4’s Sunday magazine show ‘The Colour Supplement’. In the feature called ‘A Year of My Own’ he recalls 1969. The show’s presenter is Sarah Kennedy. The news headlines are read by McDonald Hobley.

More Simon Dee audio here

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