Simon Warr
| Simon Warr | |
|---|---|
| Born | Simon Roderick Warr 9 September 1953 Haverfordwest, Wales |
| 🏳️ Nationality | British |
| 🏳️ Citizenship | United Kingdom |
| 💼 Occupation | |
| 📆 Years active | 1971–Present |
| 👔 Employer | BBC Freelance Broadcaster |
| Known for | Broadcasting |
| 🌐 Website | simonwarr |
Simon Roderick Warr (born 9 September 1953) is a British radio broadcaster, television personality and former teacher. He is best known for his role as the headmaster and languages teacher in series 1 and 3 of the Channel 4 programme That'll Teach 'Em.[1]. He is also a sports broadcaster on BBC Radio Suffolk.
From 2007-2012 he hosted The Warr Zone, a phone-in discussion programme for BBC Suffolk. Since 2015 he has hosted On the Warr Path, a radio show in which he completes challenges ranging from speed cycling and stone carving to working as an auctioneer and playing the oboe.
Warr is a regular contributor to the national radio network, particularly BBC Radio 2’s The Jeremy Vine Show. He has also appeared on BBC TV’s Rule the School, The One Show, Sunday Morning Live and Channel 5’s The Nightmare Neighbours Next Door. He has also been a contestant on BBC Mastermind.
Personal background[edit]
Simon Warr was born in Haverfordwest, in west Wales. He was educated at the Royal Masonic School, Watford where he played rugby, hockey and cricket, as well as participating in many drama productions.
After leaving school he embarked on an acting course at the London Drama Centre. Unable to secure a grant, he transferred mid-course to Goldsmiths College, University of London, qualifying as a teacher in 1977. He was subsequently awarded a Master’s degree at the Roehampton Institute, University of Surrey.
Professional background[edit]
Teaching[edit]
In 1981 Warr took up a post at St George’s School, Stowmarket where he taught French, German and Latin. He also coached the 1st XV rugby squad.
From 1983 until 2012, Warr taught at the Royal Hospital School, Ipswich where he served as a housemaster from 1986 until 1993. He was appointed head of drama in 1994 and taught French and Latin to A-level. He also held the post of director of activities from 2002 to 2010. He retired from teaching in September 2013.
Television[edit]
Warr’s television career began in 2003 with BBC1’s Rule the School. He was subsequently cast in the role of headmaster and languages teacher in Channel 4’s series about 1950s grammar schools That’ll Teach ‘Em (series 1 – 2003 and series 3 2005). He also appeared in . Channel 5’s The Nightmare Neighbours Next Door.
His television appearances have also included being guest on BBC1 The One Show (2007) and on Sunday Morning Live (2010-2012). He was also a contestant on BBC2’s Mastermind in 1981.
Warr is the only person ever to have hosted Mastermind on BBC1 with Magnus Magnusson in the famous black chair as a contestant. This event is noted in Magnus Magnusson’s autobiography I’ve Started, So I’ll Finish (1998).
Radio broadcasting[edit]
Warr is a part-time sports broadcaster on BBC Radio Suffolk (1999 – present). Between 2007 and 2012 he hosted The Warr Zone, a phone-in radio show. In 2015 he took on the focal role in On the Warr Path, a BBC radio programme in which he has to complete a weekly range of challenges set by the producers. To date these have included modern dance, archery, taking part in an assault course, working as a car mechanic and learning to play the guitar.
Author[edit]
In March 2017 his book Presumed Guilty[2] was published by Biteback Publishing. Written by Warr Presumed Guilty is his account of spending almost two years on bail accused of historical abuse offences and his battle to clear his name after being acquitted of all charges. Presumed Guilty was reviewed by David Aaronovitch in The Times[3] newspaper.
Warr also published a novel, Howson’s Choice [4], described as ‘a thriller based on real events’ in 2011. It is a fictional retelling of the downfall of Peter Hobson, headmaster of Charterhouse, whose relationship with a female escort was exposed by Private Eye in 1995. Hobson died in 2003.
In July 2016 he launched a personal blog entitled The Warr Zone[5]
Controversies[edit]
In 2012 Warr was arrested and questioned by police following complaints of historical sexual misconduct made by two adult men who had been former pupils at St George’s School, Stowmarket. He was subsequently charged with indecent assault on three former pupils. Warr pleaded not guilty to all charges and went on trial at Ipswich Crown Court in October 2014. Serious doubts emerged during the trial when evidence was given that he had never taught two of the complainants. The jury returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty on all charges within a matter of minutes of being sent out by the judge[6][7]
Warr appeared on BBC Newsnight after his acquittal to discuss the way in which historical allegations are handled by police and the Crown Prosecution Service. He was also interviewed about the case on BBC2 and Radio 5 Live.
He subsequently wrote about his 672-day ordeal, including nearly two years on police bail, the trial and his acquittal in an essay entitled Something Good Has To Come From This[8], published in The Justice Gap magazine in 2016. He also appeared on the Jeremy Vine Show, along with Sarah Champion MP, to debate how historical sexual allegations should be handled by police.
In July 2016 Warr commenced civil proceedings for damages against the lead complainant. He has also launched a Parliamentary Petition calling for those who have knowingly made false allegations of abuse to face prosecution.
Personal life[edit]
Warr is divorced. He lives in west London.
References[edit]
- ↑ "Simon Warr : Internet Movie Datebase". IMDB.
- ↑ "Presumed Guilty".
- ↑ Aaronovitch, David. "Presumed Guilty: A Teacher's Solitary Battle to Clear His Name by Simon Warr". The Times.
- ↑ http://www.howsonschoice.com/simon-warr.html
- ↑ "The Warr Zone Blog".
- ↑ "Simon Warr cleared of sexual abuse". BBC News.
- ↑ "The harshest lesson of all". The Daily Mail.
- ↑ "Something Good Has To Come From This". The Justice Gap.
External links[edit]
- Official website
- Royal Hospital School
- You Tube, Channel 5’s The Nightmare Neighbours Next Door
- BBC Radio Suffolk
- Peter Hobson : Obituary
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