Mike Parry

Michael Alan Newton-Parry (born 29 December 1954^[2]) is an English journalist and radio presenter.

Early life

Born in Chester, Parry attended The King's School, Chester, and later Trent Polytechnic; not the University of the Trent as he tries to claim. ^[3]

Journalism career

After graduating, Parry became "a Fleet Street reporter" and contributed to tabloid newspapers, most notably with The Sun. Parry then had a spell in the late 1990s as news editor of the Press Association in its Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, HQ before becoming a press officer with the Football Association

Parry has written Rooney Tunes a 2006 book based on Wayne Rooney and he also co-wrote There's an Awful Lot of Bubbly in Brazil (2007) with his fellow talkSPORT presenter Alan Brazil.

Radio

In 1999, Parry joined Talk Radio (later known as talkSPORT). Parry originally co-presented the Sports Breakfast with Alan Brazil, but after the onset of health problems in 2004, he was replaced by Graham Beecroft and subsequently Ronnie Irani.

Due to the improvement in his health, Parry returned to co-host The Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast show on Monday and Friday mornings, and sometimes stood in for Ronnie Irani if he was unavailable. Changes in talkSPORT's schedule for 2009 meant that Parry presented the 10:00–13:00 slot with Andy Townsend from Mondays to Fridays.

From June 2010 to February 2011 he co-hosted with Mike Graham in the same slot. He seemed to get on with Townsend much more harmoniously than with Graham, which led to the breakup of their show and was replaced by Richard Keys and Andy Gray from 14 February 2011. Parry then left the station.^[4]

Parry stood in for regular presenter Mark Chapman on 606 on Radio 5 Live on 19 February 2011 and again on 2 April 2011 alongside Robbie Savage.^[5]

In July 2013 Parry returned to talkSPORT to do the paper review every Wednesday on The Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast. He also appeared as part of 'The Two Mikes' with Mike Graham on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings between 1.00am and 4.00am. The Two Mikes launched a National Tour, selling out venues throughout Britain with their live rendition of the show.

Parry regularly appears on a show on Sundays from 1-4pm called "Clash of the Titans" hosted by Mark Saggers.

In 2017 Parry's 'Two Mikes' show was dropped from the overnight slot for a daily show with the 'Extra Time' name. The 'Two Mikes' now appear every Sunday between 10.00pm and midnight. However, both of them serve as 'Extra Time' substitute hosts.

Television

Parry started his television career as the co-presenter of the Sports Tonight Live show with Chris Cohen, broadcast on Freeview channel 112 (internet connection required) and online. Sports Tonight Live went bankrupt.

Personal life

In 2004, Parry suffered heart failure and was treated at Harefield Hospital.^[6] In 2004, Parry was diagnosed with advanced dilated cardiomyopathy and placed on the transplant list. In April 2005, due to a combination of drug treatment and Parry's improvements in digestion and exercise, resulting in a loss of four stones in six months, he was removed from the transplant list. In September 2007, Parry completed the 2006 Great North Run.

References