Barry Johnston

After leaving Eton College, Barry Johnston formed the harmony group Design who appeared on more than fifty TV shows in the 1970s with stars such as Morecambe and Wise, The Two Ronnies and Tommy Cooper.  In 1981 he moved to Hollywood where he worked as a waiter and played the piano for Zsa Zsa Gabor before enrolling at the Los Angeles Broadcasting School. He was signed up by KLOA Radio, where he presented the breakfast show for two years.  In 1985 Barry returned to England and became a presenter on BBC Radio Sussex in Brighton. Later he was invited to join the new BBC Radio 5 and presented the Sunday breakfast show Sunday Edition for 18 months.

Barry now runs Barn Productions and has produced more than ninety audiobooks including the number one bestseller ‘The Wit of Cricket’. He has also edited and written several books including ‘Johnners: The Life of Brian’, the definitive biography of his father. His book ‘The Wit of Cricket’, a collection of funny cricket stories, was published by Hodder & Stoughton in May 2009 and ‘The Wit of Golf’ was published in 2010.

For more than 20 years, Barry has been entertaining audiences at lunches, dinners and clubs all over the country with his hilarious stories about radio and television, as well as his affectionate and highly amusing memories of his father, Brian.

The Other Side of the Microphone
Hilarious tales of what really goes on behind-the-scenes in radio and television, from Brian Johnston to Tommy Cooper.

Johnners: The Life of Brian
Barry’s personal memories of his father’s life and career, from Down Your Way to Test Match Special, including all the famous gaffes and giggles.

The Wit of Cricket
The funniest jokes and stories from the world of cricket, collected by Barry in his latest book The Wit of Cricket.