William Francis Deedes Bio/Wiki, Net Worth, Married 2018
William Francis "Bill" Deedes, Baron Deedes, KBE, MC, PC, DL (1 June 1913 – 17 August 2007) was a British Conservative Party politician, army officer and journalist; he is to date the only person in Britain to have been both a member of the Cabinet and the editor of a major daily newspaper, The Daily Telegraph.
He frequently used mixed metaphors when speaking, such as "We've got to nail our matchbox to the mast". These were dubbed "Billisms" by his fellow journalists.
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Fact
1
He was educated at Harrow School, but the economic crash of 1929 wiped out the family's finances, and he could not afford to attend university.
2
His family's home was Saltwood Castle in Kent, the place whence the knights who murdered St Thomas a Becket set out in 1170.
3
Upon leaving school, he turned down a position at Marks and Spencer (large retail chain) and joined the Morning Post newspaper at the age of 16. When he was 22, the Post sent him to Abyssinia to report on the brutal Italian occupation.
4
In Abyssinia, he met author Evelyn Waugh. Deedes was the inspiration for the naive, plucky journalist William Boot in Waugh's novel "Scoop" (1938).
5
Spent most of WWII commanding a company of the Queen's Westminsters, and was awarded the Military Cross.
6
In 1950, he was elected Conservative MP for Ashford, succeeding Edward Percy. He represented the seat for 24 years. In 1962, he was appointed to the Cabinet by PM Harold Macmillan. He served two years as information minister, charged with improving the government's image.
7
In 1974, he became editor of the Daily Telegraph, making him the only man to have been both a Cabinet minister and the editor of a national newspaper. He returned to reporting in 1986 as a special correspondent and columnist. According to the Telegraph, he wrote his final columns on a laptop from his sickbed, a few weeks before his death.
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Editor of The Daily Telegraph (1974-1986)
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His full title is Baron Deedes of Adlington.
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Veteran British newspaper editor and politician.
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Timeshift
2007
TV Series documentary
Himself
Abdication: A Very British Coup
2006
Documentary
Himself
What the Papers Say
2005
TV Series
Presenter
Channel 4 News
2004
TV Series
Himself
Breakfast with Frost
2003
TV Series
Himself
Have I Got News for You
1999-2002
TV Series
Himself
This Is Your Life
1998
TV Series documentary
Secret History
1997
TV Series documentary
Himself - Conservative MP 1950-74
The Churchills
1996
TV Mini-Series documentary
Himself
The Media Show
1990
TV Series documentary
Himself
The Road to War
1989
TV Mini-Series documentary
Himself - Reporter, Daily Telegraph 1937-1939
Timewatch
1989
TV Series documentary
Himself - Information Minister, 1962-1964
Taking Sides
1984
TV Series
Himself
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Very Best of 'Have I Got News for You'
2002
Video
Himself (as Lord Bill Deedes)
Known for movies
The Churchills (1996) as Himself
The Road to War (1989) as Himself - Reporter, Daily Telegraph 1937-1939
$15 Million
