Fred Talbot

{{Infobox person

| name = Fred Talbot

| image =

| caption =

| birthname = Frederick Wilson Talbot{{Cite web|url=http://www.scotland-judiciary.org.uk/8/1803/HMA-v-Frederick-Wilson-Talbot|title=Judiciary of Scotland|access-date=22 June 2020|archive-date=23 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623024656/http://www.scotland-judiciary.org.uk/8/1803/HMA-v-Frederick-Wilson-Talbot|url-status=dead}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1949|12|17}}{{cite web|title=Honour for Fred|url=http://www.messengernewspapers.co.uk/news/1408809.honour_for_fred/|publisher=The Messenger Newspapers (Manchester)|access-date=25 May 2017|date=19 May 2007}}{{cite news|last1=Evans|first1=Martin|title=Fred Talbot: The sordid past of the genial weatherman|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/11406804/Fred-Talbot-The-sordid-past-of-the-genial-weatherman.html|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=25 May 2017|date=13 February 2015}}{{cite web|last1=O'Rourke|first1=Aidan|title=Fred Talbot – Granada TV Weather Presenter Extraordinaire|url=http://www.aidan.co.uk/eyewitness-in-manchester/mp/ftalbot.shtml|website=aidan.co.uk/Eyewitness in Manchester|publisher=Manchester Online/Eyewitness in Manchester|access-date=25 May 2017}}{{cite web|title=Man issued with summons as part of sex abuse investigation|url=http://www.gmp.police.uk/live/nhoodv3.nsf/dae147a8712bbae180257a2c00493fa0/ea2d2555703204ef80257cf60022af1c!OpenDocument|website=www.gmp.police.uk|publisher=Greater Manchester Police|access-date=25 May 2017|date=13 June 2014|archive-date=24 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180524222329/http://www.gmp.police.uk/live/nhoodv3.nsf/dae147a8712bbae180257a2c00493fa0/ea2d2555703204ef80257cf60022af1c!OpenDocument|url-status=dead}}

| birth_place = Edinburgh, Scotland

| death_date =

| death_place =

| education = North Cestrian Grammar School, Altrincham

| known = Granada Reports
This Morning

| employer = ITV (Granada Television)

| occupation = Teacher, presenter, meteorologist

| yearsactive = 1984–2012

| criminal_charge = Ten counts of indecent sexual assault

| criminal_penalty = Nine years and eight months' imprisonment

| criminal_status = Released on licence

| spouse =

| partner =

| parents =

}}

Frederick Wilson Talbot{{Cite web|title=Judiciary of Scotland|url=https://www.judiciary.scot/|access-date=2021-08-03|website=scts_judiciary|language=en}} (born 17 December 1949) is a British former television presenter. He grew up in north west England.

Early life and teaching

Born in Edinburgh,{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-31456840|title=Fred Talbot: Weatherman guilty of abusing teenage boys|work=BBC News|date=13 February 2015}} Talbot grew up in north west England, where he attended North Cestrian Grammar School in Altrincham, Cheshire. In 1964 he was a founding member of the Altrincham and District Astronomical Society, with which he co-discovered a meteor shower, the June Lyrids in June 1966.[http://www.meteorshowersonline.com/showers/june_lyrids.html Article on the June Lyrids from meteroshowersonline.com]. Meteorshowersonline.com (15 June 1966). Retrieved on 27 August 2011.

After teacher training in Gateshead in the late 1960s, he was employed to teach biology at Altrincham Grammar School for Boys{{citation |url=http://www.mmu.ac.uk/news/articles/673/ |title=Fred's big day – Green Guide presenter honoured |publisher=Manchester Metropolitan University |date=23 July 2007 |access-date=21 June 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150213150139/http://www.mmu.ac.uk/news/articles/673/ |archive-date=13 February 2015 |df=dmy-all }} until May 1984, when his schooling career came to "an abrupt end" following an indecent proposal he made to two pupils at his home.

Media career

File:Albert Dock, Liverpool - geograph.org.uk - 671553.jpg]]

Talbot began working for Granada Television in 1982, with The Final Frontier, an educational science series networked on ITV as part of their children's programming strand.{{cite magazine |last= |first= |date= |title=Taking Future Stock |magazine=TV Times Magazine: 25 September to 01 October 1982 }} In 1984, he began presenting for the regional news programme Granada Reports in North West England.[http://www.itv.com/granada/meettheteam/ Meet the Team] ITV Granada Reports He continued as a regular reporter for Granada Reports and became a weatherman for the ITV's This Morning in October 1988.

Until production of This Morning was moved from the Albert Dock, Liverpool, to London, Talbot presented weather reports from a large floating map of the UK and Ireland in the dock. He was required to jump across a gap to go back and forth between Britain and the island of Ireland. Crowds often gathered to watch his leap. On one occasion in 2004, a diver swam near the map to distract Talbot and on another a streaker swam naked up to the map and jumped on.{{cite news|title=TV streaker Mark Roberts makes nude protest over Sir Fred Goodwin...|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/editors-choice/2009/04/07/tv-streaker-mark-roberts-makes-nude-protest-over-sir-fred-goodwin-but-ends-up-in-wrong-bank-86908-21259952/|date=7 April 2009|newspaper=Daily Record|access-date=3 September 2009}}

Talbot also presented several regional feature series for ITV Granada, including Locks and Quays{{cite web

| url=http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/series/42061

| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080502112738/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/series/42061

| url-status=dead

| archive-date=2 May 2008

| title=Locks & Quays

| publisher=British Film Institute

| access-date=9 July 2008

}} and Wainwright Country[http://www.wainwright.org.uk/media/wainwright_country.html The Wainwright Society website] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013024539/http://www.wainwright.org.uk/media/wainwright_country.html |date=13 October 2008 }} before returning to weather presenting with Granada Reports in February 2009. He also contributed to the CITV science series Prove It! and guest presented weather forecasts for the ITV Breakfast programme Daybreak.

Indecent assault convictions

In December 2012, Greater Manchester Police carried out a search of Talbot's home in Bowdon, when allegations first emerged of abuse at Altrincham Grammar School between the early 1970s and early 1980s. A day before the search, Talbot posted on his Twitter account that he was on a holiday cruise in the Atlantic Ocean.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-20807922|title=TV weatherman Fred Talbot's home raided in abuse probe|work=BBC News|date=21 December 2012|access-date=13 January 2015}}

He did not return to his role at ITV Granada upon his return to the UK, but he was not suspended.

In April 2013, police arrested Talbot,{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-22077492|title=Fred Talbot arrest: TV weatherman held in abuse probe|work=BBC News|date=9 April 2013|access-date=9 April 2013}} who refused to answer interview questions about allegations by men who claimed they had been abused as children. Following a re-arrest in December 2013,{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-25398318|title=TV weatherman Fred Talbot rearrested in abuse probe|work=BBC News|date=16 December 2013|access-date=16 December 2013}} he was charged with ten historical sexual offences,{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25917895|title=TV weatherman Fred Talbot on child sex charges|work=BBC News|date=27 January 2014}} followed by an eleventh charge for a further sexual assault in June 2014.[https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jun/13/weather-presenter-fred-talbot-sexual-assault Former weather presenter Fred Talbot charged with further sexual assault] The Guardian, 13 June 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2014.

His trial began in January 2015,{{cite web|url=http://www.itv.com/news/granada/topic/fred-talbot/|title=Fred Talbot – Granada – ITV News|work=ITV News}} accused of abusing four former pupils at Altrincham Grammar School and a fifth schoolboy from the Newcastle area, during an annual holiday in the 1970s. He was defended by Suzanne Goddard QC.{{cite web |title=Fred Talbot: 'Inconsistencies' in sex assault claims |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-31351537 |publisher=BBC News |access-date=7 October 2021 |date=10 February 2015}} Witnesses included Stone Roses lead singer Ian Brown, a former pupil of Talbot's at Altrincham Grammar School for Boys, who swore under oath that Talbot showed his class gay pornographic films.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-31003041|title=Stone Roses' Ian Brown 'shown gay porn by Fred Talbot'|work=BBC News|date=27 January 2015}} Evidence was also provided by Talbot's extensive diaries, which noted his sexual activity. On 13 February 2015, a jury at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester found Talbot guilty of indecent assault against two teenage boys at the school,{{cite web|title=Fred Talbot Found Guilty Of Indecent Assaults|url=http://news.sky.com/story/1426914/fred-talbot-found-guilty-of-indecent-assaults|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150213115821/http://news.sky.com/story/1426914/fred-talbot-found-guilty-of-indecent-assaults|archive-date=13 February 2015|access-date=13 March 2021|work=Sky News}} and acquitted him of eight further charges. Immediately remanded in custody bearing in mind Talbot's "abuse of trust", sentencing was adjourned until 13 March 2015.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/feb/13/fred-talbot-tv-weatherman-guilty-indecently-assaulting-two-teenage-boys|title=Fred Talbot guilty of indecently assaulting two teenage boys|first=Ben|last=Quinn|date=13 February 2015|work=The Guardian}}{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/11405385/Fred-Talbot-guilty-of-abuse-charges.html|title=Fred Talbot guilty of abuse charges|work=The Telegraph|date=13 February 2015|last=Evans|first=Martin|location=London|publisher=Telegraph Media Group}}{{cite news|url=http://news.sky.com/story/1426914/talbot-guilty-of-indecent-assaults-on-two-boys|title=Ex-TV Weatherman Talbot Guilty of Abusing Boys|work=Sky News}} With reporting restrictions lifted, it was noted that a number of similar complaints against Talbot had since been passed by police to the procurator fiscal about alleged offences said to have been committed in Scotland. During the trial, Talbot said he knew at fourteen that he was homosexual.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-31114678|title=Fred Talbot trial halted after he is injured in witness box fall|date=3 February 2015|work=BBC News}}

At Minshull Street Crown Court on 13 March 2015, Judge Timothy Mort sentenced Talbot to five years in prison. Talbot was told that he would serve at least two-and-a-half years in prison before being considered for release on licence.{{cite news|url=http://www.itv.com/news/granada/update/2015-03-13/former-presenter-fred-talbot-sentenced-to-five-years-in-prison|title=Former presenter Fred Talbot sentenced to 5 years in prison|work=ITV News}}

Talbot appeared in a Scottish court on 11 March 2016, where he faced ten fresh charges of indecent assault dating from 1968 to 1981 and two charges of breach of the peace. He did not enter a plea during the hearing.{{cite web|url=http://news.sky.com/story/1658103/fred-talbot-in-court-on-indecent-assault-charges|title= Fred Talbot in Court on Indecent Assault Charges |access-date= 12 March 2016|publisher=Sky News |date= 11 March 2016}} In May 2017, Talbot was convicted of seven charges of indecent assault against boys that took place on trips to Scotland while he was a teacher at Altrincham Grammar.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-40047777|title=Fred Talbot guilty of sex offences on trips to Scotland|work=BBC News|date=25 May 2017}} On 15 June 2017, he was sentenced to four years' imprisonment at Lanark Sheriff Court, to run from 14 August, after he had served half of his existing sentence for indecent assault.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-40288601|title=Fred Talbot jailed for four years for sex offences on school trips to Scotland|work=BBC News|date=15 June 2017}} On 29 November 2017, Talbot was jailed for eight months for a further sexual assault, this time of a male over the age of 16, having admitted the offence at a previous hearing.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-42169823|title=Fred Talbot jailed for further sex assault|date=29 November 2017|work=BBC News}}

Talbot was released from prison in December 2019.{{cite news|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/paedophile-fred-talbot-released-jail-17475070|title=Fred Talbot freed: Paedophile TV weatherman pictured in Cheshire village|date=27 December 2019|work=Manchester Evening News}}

Awards

In 1998, Talbot was named Weatherman of the Year at the Annual International Weather Festival in Paris.[http://www.arenaentertainments.co.uk/speak_after_dinner_FredTalbot.htm Fred Talbot – After Dinner Speaker] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110904075222/http://www.arenaentertainments.co.uk/speak_after_dinner_FredTalbot.htm |date=4 September 2011 }}. Arena Entertainments. Retrieved on 27 August 2011.

In 2007, Talbot was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Science by Manchester Metropolitan University in recognition of bringing to a mass audience a better understanding of scientific and environmental issues.