Mike Smith (broadcaster)

Michael George Smith (23 April 1955 – 1 August 2014), also known by the on-air nickname of Smitty, He attended Ballyholme Primary School in Bangor, Northern Ireland during the early 1960s due to his father being relocated to Belfast by his employer, the Ford Motor Company.

Smith's earliest ambition was to be a train driver, however after spending a short period at Bangor Grammar School, Smith attended King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford, where he found he enjoyed being a DJ, first at the school's Friday night sixth form disco. Upon leaving school before taking his A-levels, he failed to get the motor industry job his father had hoped for.

Television career

Smith's career as a television presenter included Thames TV's CBTV, BBC1 entertainment magazine and music chart shows Top of the Pops (1982–1988) Show Business (1983) and Friday People (1985–87), Noel Edmonds' The Late, Late Breakfast Show (1984–86), That's Showbusiness (1989–96), and Julian Clary's Trick or Treat for ITV.

Smith was one of BBC TV's main presenters at Live Aid in 1985.

Smith presented BBC TV's Railwatch, which was broadcast live for five days in February 1989. Other large outside broadcasts included Hospital Watch, Airport Watch and the BBC coverage of the Royal Tournament.

Smith decided not to sign the licensing agreement that would allow the BBC to repeat his episodes of Top of the Pops, with the BBC continuing to respect his wishes following his death. Episodes featuring Smith are thus not included in the repeat run on BBC Four.

Pilot

Smith was a qualified helicopter pilot. He and his partner, later his wife, Sarah Greene, were both injured on 10 September 1988 when the Robinson R22 Beta helicopter he was piloting (bearing the personal registration G-SMIF) crashed in Gloucestershire. Smith reported apparent unrecoverable loss of engine power whilst circling to reconnoitre an unfamiliar landing site. Both pilot and passenger survived, although Greene broke both legs and an arm, and Smith suffered a broken back and ankle.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch neither criticised nor exonerated Smith in relation to the crash (it being beyond its remit to do so), concluding simply that "examination of the helicopter [including flight control, fuel, engine control, dynamic systems and the engine itself] revealed no failure or unserviceability that could have resulted in a loss of rotor speed."

Aerial filming company

In 2004, Smith founded Flying TV, a company providing aerial filming services to broadcasters. As well as being managing director, Smith often acted as an aerial cameraman.

Motor racing

Driving from the age of eight, Smith raced at the age of 14 in grass track events, building his own cars. In 1972, aged 17, he passed his test and took up motorsports in racing, rallying and rallycross. In 1976, he progressed to Formula Ford 2000 with the Patrick Head-designed Sark. Smith was also a motorsport commentator, mainly at Brands Hatch where he also, age 21, ran the marketing operation. It was during this time he became interested in broadcasting.

While still broadcasting, Smith raced in several British Touring Car Championship races, driving a newly homologated Sierra Cosworth in 1987, and then alongside Frank Sytner in 1988 in a BMW M3. He also won the Willhire 24 Hour at Snetterton in 1986, co-driving a Ford Escort RS Turbo with Robb Gravett.

In 1989, Smith established a BTCC team known as Trakstar with Gravett and Malcolm Swetnam. They ran two Sierra Cosworths, which had been imported from the Australian Touring Car stable of Dick Johnson. Gravett went on to become runner up in Group A, but Smith struggled with his recovery from the helicopter crash. However, loss of a major sponsor in 1990 meant that only one car could be run, which was raced by Gravett who became champion. Smith never raced competitively again.

Racing record

Complete European Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"

! Year

! Team

! Car

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! 11

! 12

! DC

! Pts

| 1984

|align="left"| Terry Drury Racing

! Alfa Romeo GTV6

| MNZ

| VAL

| DON

| PER

| BRN

| ZEL

| SAL

| NUR

| SPA

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SIL 22†

| ZOL

| MUG

! NC

! 0

| 1988

|align="left"| BMW Finance Racing

! BMW M3

| MNZ

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| DON 2/3†

| EST

| JAR

| DIJ

| VAL

| NÜR

| SPA

| ZOL

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SIL 13†/Ret

| NOG

! NC

! 0

† Not eligible for points.

Complete British Saloon / Touring Car Championship results

(key) Races in bold indicate pole position. Races in italics indicate fastest lap (1 point awarded – 1987–1989 in class)

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%"

!Year

!Team

!Car

!Class

!10

!11

!12

!13

!Overall

Pos

!Pts

!Class

Pos

| 1985

! Ilford Photo

! Ford Escort RS Turbo

!

| SIL

| OUL

| THR

| DON

| THR

| SIL

| DON

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SIL ovr:17 cls:7

| SNE

| BRH

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| BRH Ret

| SIL

! NC

! 0

! NC

|rowspan=2| 1987

!Abbott Racing

!Ford Sierra RS Cosworth

!

|SIL

|OUL

|THR

|SIL

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SIL Ret

|BRH

|SNE

|DON

|OUL

|DON

|SIL

!rowspan=2| NC

!rowspan=2| 0

!rowspan=2| NC

!Prodrive

!BMW M3

!

|SIL

|OUL

|THR

|SIL

|BRH

|SNE

|DON

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| OUL Ret†

|DON

|SIL

| 1988

! BMW Finance Racing with Mobil 1

! BMW M3

!

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| SIL ovr:5 cls:2

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| OUL ovr:14 cls:4

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| THR ovr:6 cls:2

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| DON Ret

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| THR ovr:14 cls:4

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| SIL ovr:12 cls:2

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SIL Ret

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| BRH ovr:8 cls:2

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SNE ovr:19 cls:4

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| BRH ovr:12 cls:4

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| BIR C

| DON

| SIL

! 5th

! 40

|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| 3rd

| 1989

! Trakstar Motorsport

! Ford Sierra RS500

!

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| OUL ovr:7 cls:6

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SIL ovr:10 cls:10

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| THR ovr:10 cls:7

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| DON Ret

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| THR ovr:5 cls:5

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SIL ovr:4 cls:4

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SIL ovr:10 cls:10

|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| BRH ovr:3 cls:3

| SNE

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| BRH Ret

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| BIR Ret

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| DON ovr:9 cls:9

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SIL ovr:7 cls:7

! 27th

! 10

! 7th

| 1990

! Trakstar Motorsport

! Ford Sierra RS500

!

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| OUL Ret

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| DON Ret†

| THR

| SIL

| OUL

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SIL ovr:6 cls:6

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| BRH ovr:1† cls:1†

| SNE

| BRH

| BIR

| DON

| THR

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SIL ovr:5 cls:5

! 25th

! 14

! 9th

!colspan="20"|

† Endurance driver (Ineligible for points)

Complete World Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%"

! Year

! Team

! Car

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! 11

! DC

! Pts

| 1987

! Prodrive

! BMW M3

| MNZ

| JAR

| DIJ

| NÜR

| SPA

| BNO

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SIL ovr:7 cls:6†

| BAT

| CLD

| WEL

| FJI

! NC

! 0

† Not eligible for points.

Personal life

Smith married Sarah Greene in 1989, soon after their 1988 helicopter crash.

Smith died on 1 August 2014 from complications following major heart surgery. Greene survives him.