Chris Tarrant
The avuncular yet sharp-witted host who turned 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' into a national event with his famous pause and probing stare.
Born 1946 (age 80)·English broadcaster·Birthday: October 10·Baby Boomers
Biography
Chris Tarrant's voice and face became synonymous with British television for generations. He first captured the chaotic hearts of children as the co-host of the anarchic Saturday morning show 'Tiswas,' where flying buckets of water and celebrity custard pies were the order of the day. This grounding in live, unpredictable television served him perfectly decades later when he took the helm of 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' Tarrant transformed the quiz show format. His deliberate pacing, intense gaze, and the now-legendary phrase "Is that your final answer?" created unbearable tension, making the show a primetime phenomenon. For 16 years, he was the calm, sometimes mischievous center of a global hit, his everyman charm making contestants and viewers feel he was willing them to win. His career, spanning radio DJing and documentary presenting, is a masterclass in adapting to television's changing moods.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Chris was born in 1946, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Chris Was Born
The biggest hits of 1946
#1 Movie
The Best Years of Our Lives
Best Picture
The Best Years of Our Lives
Chris's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1946Born
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1951Started school
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1959Became a teenager
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Could drive
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1964Could vote
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Turned 21
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1976Turned 30
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 40
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 50
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 60
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 70
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 80
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Hosted the original UK version of 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' for its entire first run from 1998 to 2014.
- Co-presented the hugely influential and chaotic children's television show 'Tiswas' from 1974 to 1981.
- Had a long career as a radio presenter, most notably on Capital Radio's breakfast show in London for 17 years.
- Presented the travel documentary series 'Tarrant on TV' and 'Tarrant's Australian Adventure.'
Did You Know?
Before television, he worked as an English teacher at a secondary school in Birmingham.
He is a passionate supporter of the charity WaterAid and has presented documentaries for them.
He sold his production company, Action Time, for a reported £10 million in 1994.
He is an avid fisherman and has written columns on the subject.
““The great thing about 'Millionaire' was that it was real. The tension, the drama, it was all genuine.””
