Ted Moult | | Accidental celebrity Ted Moult strikes a pose |
Twenty years ago Derbyshire lost one of its most familiar faces.
Ted Moult started out as a farmer but somehow found himself a household name.
In a world now obsessed with fame and fortune, we reveal the real story behind the man who stumbled into stardom
and became Britain's best loved 'accidental celebrity'.
And we investigate his tragic death 20 years ago this month.
The man behind the imageEdward Walker Moult led two very different lives. He was first and foremost a farmer who left school at 17 and by 22 had his first dairy farm on the outskirts of Derby. Ted's showbiz career started by chance in the late 1950's and he became an instant hit with the audience. But despite being no 'Brain of Britain' and getting knocked out in the first round, Ted's quick wit and gift of the gab had been noticed by BBC producers. By the mid 1960's Ted had hit the big time and was now a household name. The quirky mixture of eccentric farmer, razor sharp wit and comedy timing proved a hit with audiences. At such an early time in broadcasting, many of Ted's first appearances were never actually recorded and went out live. But throughout this period he travelled the world with the BBC. Britain's best loved farmer | | Big moment - Ted Moult on TV's Countdown |
As Ted gradually became Britain's best loved farmer, his TV appearances became more and more frequent. One of his biggest moments came in 1982 when he helped launch Channel 4. By 1986 Ted had combined a 30 year career in show business with his life back on the farm. But that summer his friends and family had noticed a change in the man. This usually bright and cheerful chap had become worried and withdrawn. His wife Maria told us, "he suddenly became massively depressed and his judgement seemed to fail. "All his optimism seemed to evaporate. It was almost as though a curtain fell over his life."
Nowadays Ted would have been treated for severe clinical depression. But instead his mental health worsened - on September 3rd 1986 he shot himself. Looking back over Ted's life very few people can hope to achieve as much as he did. And in his own words taken from his autobiography, "people who live a full life are fortunate", and during his 60 years Ted managed to do just that. Links relating to this story:The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites | 
Inside Out - East Midlands: Monday September 25, 2006
