Martin Kelner
A warm, witty voice of BBC Radio Leeds for decades, blending music, comedy, and local chatter into a beloved daily ritual.
Born 1949 (age 77)·British journalist and broadcaster·Birthday: May 28·Baby Boomers
Biography
Martin Kelner is the kind of broadcaster who makes radio feel like a conversation in a cozy pub—a master of the gentle, intelligent aside. For over forty years, primarily at BBC Radio Leeds, he built a mid-morning institution, his voice a familiar comfort across Yorkshire. His style was never about shock jock theatrics but about connection, weaving together music from big bands to contemporary pop with dry humor and interviews that felt like chats. His long-standing partnership with French comic character Edouard Lapaglie added a layer of surreal, scripted comedy to the mix. Beyond the microphone, Kelner has been a newspaper columnist, author, and occasional television presenter, but his heart always seemed to belong to the local radio studio, where he curated a daily show that celebrated the ordinary and the eccentric in equal measure.
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.
Martin was born in 1949, 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 Martin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1949
#1 Movie
Samson and Delilah
Best Picture
All the King's Men
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Martin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1949Born
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1954Started school
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1962Became a teenager
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
1965Could drive
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1967Could vote
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
1970Turned 21
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1979Turned 30
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 40
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 50
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 60
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 70
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 77 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Presented the mid-morning show on BBC Radio Leeds for over two decades, becoming one of the station's most recognizable voices.
- Authored several books, including 'Let's Go Together: The Story of the Comedy Double-Act' and 'Ticket to Ride.'
- Maintained a successful partnership with comedy sidekick Edouard Lapaglie across multiple radio shows and live performances.
Did You Know?
He began his career as a journalist for the Yorkshire Post newspaper.
Kelner is also a skilled singer and has performed in musical theatre productions.
He created and portrayed the comic French character Edouard Lapaglie, who became a regular feature on his shows.
His son, Johnny, is a successful journalist and writer.
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