When teenager Keith Chegwin wrote a letter to the BBC in the summer of 1976, he could not have imagined it would help change the face of British television.
Then a jobbing actor, 19-year-old Chegwin outlined his idea for a new live Saturday-morning show for children – even offering himself up as the host. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Three months later, Chegwin was appointed co-host for the Corporation’s new programme Multi-Coloured Swap Shop – making him a household name.
Now, the late presenter’s original letter has been discovered in the BBC’s Written Archives Centre, ahead of the popular show’s 50th anniversary next year.
In it, Chegwin lays out his idea to create a programme ‘for children aged eight to 15’ inspired by Michael Parkinson‘s chat show, Esther Rantzen‘s That’s Life! and The Russell Harty Show, but ‘all rolled into one half-hour show’.
Chegwin wrote: ‘On the show there could be a news desk, perhaps a resident band, problem corner and information centre.
‘Of course, it’s difficult to write in words how a show like this would run, but I feel sure I’ve given you the basic idea.’
He added that a ‘young [underlined] compere’ could interview ‘well-known groups, television, political and sports personalities’.
Viewers could send in questions for the celebrity guests, he added – and he already had someone in mind to host. He wrote: ‘I myself am an actor and have been in the business nine years. I’ve also appeared in numerous television, film and stage shows.’
Keith Chegwin was appointed co-host for Multi-Coloured Swap Shop three months after he sent a letter outlining his idea for a new live Saturday-morning show for children
The late presenter’s original letter has been discovered in the BBC’s Written Archives Centre
A CV was included in the letter, which referred to Liverpool-born Chegwin’s appearances in Roman Polanski’s 1971 film Macbeth, sitcom The Liver Birds and sci-fi drama The Tomorrow People.
But Swap Shop, hosted by Noel Edmonds with John Craven and Chegwin as his co-presenters, led to a television career that spanned five decades.
He travelled across Britain to facilitate the show’s iconic ‘swaps’, where children would trade toys.
Notably, some of Chegwin’s ideas – including the presenting desk and children submitting questions to the guests – became staples of the programme. The show also pioneered the television phone-in.
In 1982, he married co-presenter Maggie Philbin. Chegwin died aged 60 in 2017.
Ms Philbin, who had never seen the unsolicited letter, said it had reached producer Rosemary Gill ‘with exquisite timing’.
She told The Mail on Sunday: ‘When Keith sent the letter he could have had no idea that the BBC was planning a new show for Saturday morning. His letter arrived just at the moment when they were in the process of deciding. It was exquisite timing.
‘But all credit to Rosemary Gill. She took a big risk with Keith. Many producers who got a letter like that wouldn’t have bothered.’
Swap Shop, which ran until 1982, paved the way for similar shows including Saturday Superstore, Going Live! and Live And Kicking.
It also encouraged ITV to successfully relaunch Tiswas, hosted by Chris Tarrant and Sally James.
