Ian Payne

Ian Payne has worked on BBC Radio Lancashire, BBC Radio 2 and 4 and is currently broadcasting on BBC Radio Five Live.

He was born on 16 December 1962 and educated at Radley College, Abingdon, the Royal Holloway College, the University of London (English and Drama) and Lancashire Polytechnic (postgraduate TV and Radio).

Early jobs in Ian's career included "everything from working on dustcarts and in hospital laundries to teaching," he says.

"When I was travelling in New Zealand, I had a job on a farm burying dead goats."

Ian's first inspiration was listening to Peter Jones who fronted BBC radio's Wimbledon coverage.

"I quite wanted to do journalism but I didn't want to work in newspapers," he says.

"I remember working in a laundrette and listening to Peter Jones thinking, 'That must be a great job'".

Ian's important career move came when he started working for local radio, and then moved to London to take up a job as a radio producer.

When asked what his best moment in his career has been so far, Ian without hesitation says presenting from the World Cup in 1998.

"You can't really beat the World Cup," he says.

"To be able to go to the games and be paid for it. I remember going to the Stade De France for the first time: it was a gloomy evening, rain tipping down, Holland versus Belgium, and I remember thinking 'I really am here'."