Nick Hewer Biography

Nick Hewer born Nicholas Radbourn Hewer, is an English television presenter and former public relations consultant. He was born on 17 February 1944 in Swindon, Wiltshire, England.

He was educated at Clongowes Wood College, an exclusive Jesuit boarding school in County Kildare, Ireland. Though he performed well in his studies and had  secured himself a place to study law at Trinity College in Dublin, his parents were unable to afford the fees for him to study there.

He appeared as Lord Sugar’s adviser on the British television series The Apprentice from 2005 to 2014. He first became famous from his role as Lord Sugar’s right hand man on The Apprentice. He has presented the Channel 4 programme Countdown with Rachel Riley and Susie Dent since 2012,when he took over from Jeff Stelling. He is the fifth presenter of Countdown and the longest-serving one since the death of the original host, Richard Whiteley who died in 2005.

Nick Hewer Age

He was born on 17 February 1944 in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. he is 74 years old as of 2018.

Nick Hewer Height

He stands at 5’8″ which when translated to meters is 1.78 meters.

Nick Hewer Family

He is son to Patricia Hewer and John David Radbourn Hewer. His parents had met while they were university students in Dublin. His father was senior partner of  an Old Town veterinary practice referred to as Hewer, Spriggs and Wilson. He is a brother to two sisters and two brothers. His grandfather, John, began as a vet in Swindon in 1912 while his maternal grandfather, Oswald Jamison was High Sheriff of Belfast during the 1920’s.

Nick Hewer Partner

His partner is Catherine. They live in Northamptonshire.

Nick Hewer Wife

Hewer married Margo Spindler in 1973, but they were divorced in 1985 after they had had two children; James and Kate.

Nick Hewer Cancer

Hewer has been a patron of the charity Pancreatic Cancer Action since 2015. In 2017 he presented the charity’s BBC Radio 4 charity appeal during Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month.

Nick Hewer Looking Great

Nick Hewer Book

Nick has written a book called My Alphabet: A Life from A to Z

It entails: As one of Lord Sugar’s closest advisers, Nick Hewer came late to wider public attention when he was recruited to work with him on The Apprentice, joining from the first series that aired in 2005 and staying with the show for ten seasons. He quickly developed a reputation for his wry sense of humour, while his astute insights into the foibles and failings of the apprentices won him a cult following.

Now, in Hewer’s first book, he takes us through his life from A for Apprentice (of course) to Z for Zed list. Along the way, he discusses Determination and how to get it, offers insights from growing Old, reveals his greatest Regrets, talks about Tottenham and much else besides. There are chapters on Frights, Nicotine, the Queen and even one on Underwear! Equally at home on Question Time or Have I Got News For You, in the boardroom or chatting to a Mongolian policeman, Hewer shows himself to be a natural writer, too.

Nick Hewer Net Worth

Nick Hewer has an estimated net worth of £30 million.

Nick Hewer Twitter

Tweets by Nick_Hewer

Nick Hewer Interview

What was your expectation when you were invited to speak to actuaries?

Nick Hewer: These were the first actuaries I’d ever met and I was quite daunted by the prospect. I was expecting a highly aloof group of individuals – a stereotype often associated with very bright people who struggle socially because of their mighty brains. The general view of mathematicians is that they recede into themselves and can be uninteresting. But I was pleasantly surprised with the group. These young actuaries were charming, amusing and ebullient. There was clearly a lot of talent beyond the actuarial skills – there was confidence and great communication skills being displayed.

How can we change the stereotypical view of actuaries?

Nick Hewer: There is a great opportunity for members and the profession to modernise. There needs to be a stronger promotion of actuaries across wider society with a programme for change. Why would BBC’s Newsnight want someone like me sitting across from Jeremy Paxman talking about pensions? Yet that’s exactly what happened. Actuaries are clearly better suited to such topics. What is required are figureheads from the membership to put themselves forward. This could be massive – actuaries are incredibly bright and credible. You should have an actuary on hand for every topic, every newspaper, every TV programme to give the expert view. Strong PR and marketing can really make a big difference in promoting the ‘actuary’ brand.

What advice would you give younger actuaries to be successful?

Nick Hewer: I would suggest they volunteer for anything. It is critically important to get noticed and to gain experience. There is also an element of luck and timing and, hence, getting involved in lots of different areas can increase your chances of success. Getting to the top requires dedication and a huge amount of focus on goals. There is also the need to deal with difficult decisions and some of the politics that come with business. What I believe makes a strong and effective leader and one that tends to avoid the politics is the ‘servant leader’ – someone who emerges in a group and is not appointed nor forces their way to the top. They prove themselves to have strong ability and people believe in them. They don’t pose a threat to the people around them and are highly collaborative. This type of leadership requires patience. Given the cerebral nature of actuaries, this would make a good route to success.

Tell us about your own success

Nick Hewer: I wouldn’t say I have been successful for myself. I have never been money-focused and that was never a driver for me, though I have always been profitable with my PR business that I started in the 1960s. I’d say that I have been successful for my clients. My aim was to be ‘unsackable’ by the age of 30. I always had a fear of being replaced over time; as we age there’s always that risk that the next generation will come in at a much lower price. This was a key influence of me starting my own business. I’d say that if success did come at any time it was when I’d started employing people and taking responsibility for them and making money. Moving into television was big and gave a huge boost to my confidence.

What can actuaries learn from this?

Nick Hewer: Are they held back from the front-office crowd? Actuaries can be more than actuaries – sales, marketing and PR are just some areas in which actuaries can lead. Public speaking is great for growing confidence. It doesn’t apply uniquely to actuaries, as we know from that famous saying that people would rather be burgled than speak in public, but there’s a lot of development to be gained from public speaking – not least of all in reducing burglaries! Get actuaries on TV and in the papers because in many ways you are futurologists. The future is all about trends and that’s what businesses are looking for to be successful. Good God, you guys should be everywhere!

What’s the secret to surviving in The Apprentice boardroom?

Nick Hewer: It is a scary experience for most candidates, and that’s because it is a life or death situation – it is about survival. Everyone is best friends outside of that room, but when it comes to the boardroom it is dog-eat-dog and, of course, it is encouraged because it is television. It happens in real life too, but in a much gentler fashion; when the results aren’t good, someone has to take the responsibility. The candidates are very decent folk and some are very focused and obsessive about business. Since the prize has become an investment in a business idea, the winners are all making money. They have people working for them, which is very positive.

How would you describe Lord Sugar?

Nick Hewer: It is great working for him. He can be very tough and very demanding, but he is fair. Honesty, loyalty and integrity are incredibly important to him. If anyone crosses any of these they’re out. He is clearly very bright and very fast with it. There are times when we think he’ll be wrong but he is always proved right. He seems to be wired differently to most. He is always looking to the future and his timing is exceptional. He is always thinking, never stops, and is always calculating and calibrating. Maybe he should have been an actuary. He was the first into PDAs and they had voice and handwriting recognition. He was spot on with word processors, PCs and probably the last businessman to make money in football.

You are well known for your unique facial expressions – do you practise these?

Nick Hewer: I must have one of those ‘mobile’ faces. Nothing is re-shot; the television crew are everywhere and they catch everything, particularly my reactions to the often naïve actions and statements of some of the inexperienced candidates. Body language and facial expressions are clearly important in communication. It’s knowing how best to use them and when. The hardest part is not showing any of it. For example, in a hard negotiation having the ability to give nothing away can make the difference between winning and losing.

Education can be a valuable attribute for individuals and society. Does Countdown help support interest in education?

Nick Hewer: We are very proud of Countdown. It is surprisingly one of the few game shows that has no real prize. It is intellectually very tough and the core audience are students, children and a lot of older people. The timing of the show isn’t ideal at late in the afternoon and I’m sure it would be more successful at a later time slot. I believe the programme does promote literacy and numeracy skills and really gets people thinking. We are dazzled by the contestants and I’m sure actuaries would do incredibly well, particularly at the numbers game. Interestingly, we get a lot of contestants who are good at both the numbers and letters games. It could be so much more powerful with increased reach. I hope it is helping our audience to sharpen their thinking skills.

What future trends do you anticipate?

Nick Hewer: Technology will clearly continue to develop and become an even more important part of our lives. You clever folk use past data to predict future behaviours. You should promote this more strongly and show the positive effects on society. The other big shift I anticipate is more working from home and for it to become more acceptable. We’re already seeing this happen, but I do think the next generation will embrace it more strongly. The current issues that exist and may last some time are access to credit and investment – this does make it hard for the next generation. The trend that I’d like to see reversed is the dreadful cult of drink and obsession with celebrity, which can be very damaging. That’s not something you bright actuaries would fall for.

Source: www.theactuary.com

Nick Hewer – Video



Nick Hewer News

How I make Rachel Riley’s eyes widen in fear about what I might say next: Countdown’s NICK HEWER on life behind the scenes of TV’s most gently addictive quiz show

Updated on: 27 August 2018

Nick Hewer has become one of our best-loved characters on TV — first, as one of Lord Sugar’s sidekicks on The Apprentice, and now as host of the words and numbers game Countdown. In the first part of our serialisation of his memoirs on Saturday, he told how he was an unknown PR man until, by accident, he found himself auditioned for television. Here, in the final part — with characteristic self-deprecation — he takes us behind the scenes of recording at Countdown… Sitting in my dressing room on The Apprentice set, I was being rouged up by Mandy, the make-up artist, when Alan Sugar strolled in.

I had news for him: I’d been offered the job of presenting Countdown. Always one to get to the point, he said: ‘What’s that?’ I gave him an outline of the long-running afternoon TV quiz show.

‘How much?’ he said. I told him.

‘Do it,’ was his rapid response as he strolled out again.

Suddenly, at the age of 68, I found myself heavily committed with two major TV shows on the go at once. I was also, to put it bluntly, rather surprised at the level of income and flattered to have been asked to take the helm of the programme that can boast of more series than any other, as confirmed in the Guinness World Records. The phone call had come completely out-of-the blue a few weeks earlier. On the other end had been Tom Mclaughlin, managing director of the country’s largest speaker agency, which had booked me over the last five years.

‘Countdown have been on the phone and want to know whether you’d be interested in presenting the show,’ he said.

‘What do you think?’ I asked.

‘Well,’ he replied, ‘it’s been running since 1982, very well established, probably Britain’s best-known afternoon quiz show, and I think you might like it.’

‘I’ve never watched the show,’ I said. ‘Let me have a look and I’ll come back to you.’

I tuned in that afternoon and asked around and came to the firm conclusion there would be a lot of experienced presenters going for this job, but I might as well throw my hat into the ring. To my surprise, a few weeks later, I found myself sitting in the gallery of the old Granada studios in Quay Street, Manchester, watching Jeff Stelling silkily present Countdown in front of a live audience, with Susie Dent in Dictionary Corner and Rachel Riley handling the numbers and letters board.

After an hour or so in the darkness, the producer, Damian Eadie, turned to me and said: ‘Do you want a go?’ I thought it rude to decline, and next thing I knew I was on the floor of the studio being mic’d up by Denise. The floor manager, Jay, gave me some words of advice (now forgotten), and finally Denise plugged what felt like an onion in my right ear — the famous earpiece. Damian came through loud and clear with a few curt instructions. The director Derek Hallworth took over and told me not to worry.

Cindy came on the line and told me she would count me down, and then the sound engineer and lighting supervisor were on the line, checking on my comfort level. And thus, with all these voices dancing around in my head, off we went. If Jeff Stelling was as smooth as polished marble, then I was a heap of rubble by comparison. After ten minutes of falling masonry, it was called to a halt and I staggered out of the studio. I thought no more about it until, a couple of weeks later, the executive producer, Peter Gwyn, called me to ask how I felt it had all gone. I told him I was clearly not cut out for such a role.

‘Oh, come on,’ he said. ‘It wasn’t that bad. In fact, we’d like to pursue it a little more . . . I will bring the team down to London together with a presenter trainer, and we’ll see whether we can’t knock off some of those rough edges.’

That’s exactly what happened, and the abiding memory and the best piece of advice that I was given is, when presented with a Countdown script, do not read it word for word — unless you have an autocue (which we don’t) — but just get the general gist and do it in your own words. Another test, which I passed surprisingly easily, was finishing a piece on time: the director in one’s earpiece counts you down so that you hit the pips. A few weeks passed and the executive producer called again to say that they were very happy and would like to offer me a contract. I referred him back to Tom Mclaughlin, who was soon in touch.

‘This is a good gig,’ he said. ‘It involves 225 shows a year, with five shows recorded per day in three-day blocks. I have managed to increase their offer considerably and I think you should take it.’

‘But I’m already doing The Apprentice, so I’m committed to an eight-week shoot and all the other random days and events, so I’ve got to be a bit careful.’

‘Make hay while the sun shines,’ he trilled. I took his advice.

That was in 2011. Seven years, and counting . . . For those who’ve been in a medically induced coma for the last 36 years and haven’t seen the show, then tune in to Channel 4 any weekday afternoon to find out what it’s all about. It’s basically live Scrabble with a teapot as a prize. This is, I think, what makes it so charming: there are no money prizes, no free holidays, no sets of stainless-steel saucepans to be won — just a dictionary and a teapot and the glory of being a Countdown winner. Indeed, the most frequent cry from a winning contestant is: ‘I’ve got my teapot, that’s all I came for.’

Sometimes, as I sort of wander off-piste, I see Rachel’s eyes widening in dread anticipation of what I might say next. In truth, it’s anybody’s guess because I often don’t know myself where I’m heading. In the very early days, I once worked out the word Conifers on the board — a creditable score of eight — and, with the clock still ticking, I was so excited I shouted it out. When the clock had finished its sweep, and with the rebuke of the director ringing in my earpiece, I asked each competitor for their word and was not surprised to find that each had also chosen the word ‘conifers’. To my huge embarrassment, we had to do it all over again.

Susie, on the other hand, is the mistress of self-control, and I never cease to be amazed at her professionalism and extraordinary learning as she delivers, over each three-day block of 15 programmes, 15 perfectly crafted and executed little essays on her chosen theme — an exceptional talent. And Rachel, an Oxford maths graduate, blazes her way through the most difficult challenges without a moment’s hesitation. The day starts when I leave the hotel at 9.30 am and head for the studio. Then it’s into the Dock 10 building at Media City, lift to the first floor and let myself into the Countdown corridor.

Dropping my stuff off in my rather luxurious dressing room, I head off to the make-up room where we all mill about before and after each show. (We record five episodes a day, so it’s necessary, after every game, to get a fresh set of clothes to differentiate between the days.) So, there we all are in Dock 10, plunged into the parallel universe that is a TV studio with no natural light — a kind of crepuscular half-world in which, beyond the painfully bright key lights which the lighting director deliberately and sadistically insists on pointing straight at me, I can see nothing of the audience that lurks in the darkness beyond.

Most of the Dictionary Corner guests come because they love Countdown — none more so than Jo Brand and Gyles Brandreth, who’ve been on since almost the beginning of time. Nothing fazes performers like these, but there are those who come and, while acting in a nonchalant manner, are unable to disguise their nerves as they enter the studio, for there is no place to hide for those who airily wave away an earpiece. It always amuses me to see that same celeb call for an earpiece two games later and be attached to Damian’s lifeline.

For me, the success of a show, or certainly the enjoyment, depends on the chemistry I have with the Dictionary Corner guest. That certainly applies to Jo and Gyles, but add to them celebrities such as Janet Street-Porter, the remarkable wildlife experts Chris Packham and Steve Backshall, Jimmy Osmond, the hilarious Rufus Hound, Gloria Hunniford, Hugh Dennis, Jon Culshaw, Richard Madeley, Tim Rice and the twinkling-eyed Louise Minchin, to name just a few.

A recent guest, the great boxer Barry McGuigan, proved to be delightful. It gave me great pleasure to tell him that my mother, who was born in Northern Ireland, adored him and, when watching him fight on television, used to plead: ‘Don’t you hurt my Barry!’ A more unlikely fight fan would be hard to find, but strangely she loved boxing and fell into a long and friendly correspondence with the commentator Harry Carpenter. I was surprised to be told by my sister, Annabelle, recently that Mum was a daily Countdown viewer, slipping away to the TV room with a cup of tea, pad and pencil and a cigarette to watch the first presenter, Richard Whiteley.

Princess Margaret also revealed in an interview that her sister was a keen viewer, although she failed to say whether HMQ played along. The pressure on the contestants is intense, for though they’ve all passed an audition to test their ability in the game and they all play at home (no doubt brilliantly), once they enter the arena, with the big clock behind them and the bright lights and a live audience, any over-confidence soon evaporates, particularly for those who are now facing a player who has already accumulated five wins.

My greatest fear is for the contestant who hasn’t managed to get on the scoreboard while his or her competitor racks up a massive score. He/she stands at zero, the competitor at 55, and I pray that the underdog will score at least something before the final round. He/she starts to panic, I start to panic, praying that the competitor in the lead will just ease off the throttle a little bit, but of course this is a very competitive situation. I’ve yet to preside over a game when one player stays on zero, and I hope that situation never occurs.

While I can have fun with the celebrities sitting next to Susie, I like to gain some rapport with the contestants, not always easy given the stress they must be under. There are exceptions, contestants who can relax and enjoy the experience, notably, in recent times, the famous Moose, an ex-copper who charmed us all; and I’ll never forget Liam Moloney from Galway who went home to a hero’s welcome and free pints of the black stuff for evermore after a successful Countdown run. It’s an exhausting schedule, and by the end I’m thrown semi-conscious into the back of the car to return to my home in Northamptonshire, where my partner Catherine awaits with the words: ‘You must be sick with exhaustion. There’s duck for dinner.’

Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk