History of Chris Evans (presenter) in Timeline
Christopher James Evans is a prominent English television and radio presenter and producer. He began his career in radio as a teenager and rose to fame on Channel 4's The Big Breakfast. Known for his irreverent and high-energy style, Evans hosted popular shows like Radio 1 Breakfast and TFI Friday, attracting large audiences while sometimes generating controversy. By 2000, he was the UK's highest-paid entertainer. Notably, he was the BBC's highest-paid presenter in the tax year leading up to April 2017, earning nearly £2.25 million annually.
November 1921: Birth of Martin Joseph Evans
In November 1921, Martin Joseph Evans, the father of Chris Evans, was born. He later worked as a bookmaker and health authority wages clerk.
1926: Birth of Minnie Beardsall
In 1926, Minnie Beardsall, the mother of Chris Evans, was born. She later managed a corner shop.
1953: Birth of David Evans
In 1953, David Evans, Chris Evans's brother, was born.
1961: Ferrari 250 GT Spyder California SWB manufactured
In 1961, the Ferrari 250 GT Spyder California SWB was manufactured. Chris Evans would later buy it in 2008.
1963: Birth of Diane Evans
In 1963, Diane Evans, Chris Evans's sister, was born.
1963: Ferrari 250 GTO manufactured
In 1963, the Ferrari 250 GTO was manufactured. Chris Evans would later buy it in 2010.
April 1966: Birth of Christopher James Evans
In April 1966, Christopher James Evans was born. He would later become a prominent English television presenter, radio DJ, and producer.
April 1979: Death of Martin Joseph Evans
In April 1979, Chris Evans's father, Martin Joseph Evans, passed away from colorectal cancer, impacting the young Chris Evans's life.
April 1979: Death of Father and Part-Time Work
In April 1979, following the death of his father, Chris Evans, at the age of 13, began part-time work at a newsagent–tobacconist and ran an alternative tuck-shop at school.
1983: Professional Career at Piccadilly Radio
In 1983, Chris Evans began his professional career at Piccadilly Radio in Manchester, where he previously had unpaid work.
1984: Multiple Jobs and Roles
In 1984, Chris Evans held three jobs: assistant to Timmy Mallett at Piccadilly Radio, disc jockey at local pubs, and working at a newsagent, showcasing his diverse work ethic.
1984: Full-Time Position at Piccadilly Radio
In 1984, Chris Evans switched to a full-time position at Piccadilly Radio, expanding his role to include driving around Manchester and producing for James H. Reeve.
1986: Birth of Chris Evans' daughter, Jade
In 1986, Chris Evans' daughter, Jade, was born to former fiancée Alie Ward.
1990: Saturday Afternoons and The Greenhouse
In early 1990, Chris Evans took over Saturday afternoons at GLR, and three months later, he started presenting The Greenhouse, a Monday-to-Thursday evening show, remaining in this slot until the end of 1990.
1991: Evans married Carol McGiffin
In 1991, Chris Evans married Carol McGiffin.
1991: Hosting Round at Chris's
In early 1991, Chris Evans began presenting Round at Chris's every Saturday morning, following his TV work on The Power Station.
March 1992: Presenting Too Much Gravy on BBC Radio 1
In March 1992, Chris Evans began presenting Too Much Gravy on BBC Radio 1, replacing Phillip Schofield and marking a move to a larger broadcasting platform.
September 1992: Co-hosting The Big Breakfast
From 28 September 1992, Chris Evans co-hosted The Big Breakfast on Channel 4 with Gaby Roslin, marking a significant role in breakfast television.
September 1992: End of Too Much Gravy
In September 1992, Chris Evans's show Too Much Gravy on BBC Radio 1 came to an end, concluding his brief but successful stint on the station.
April 1993: End of Round at Chris's
In April 1993, Chris Evans concluded his presentation of Round at Chris's.
April 1993: Joining Virgin Radio
In April 1993, Chris Evans left GLR and joined the new Virgin Radio to host a Saturday morning show, marking a transition to a different radio station.
1993: Evans and McGiffin break up
In 1993, Chris Evans and Carol McGiffin broke up.
September 1994: Leaving The Big Breakfast and Forming Ginger Productions
On 29 September 1994, Chris Evans left The Big Breakfast and formed his own television production company, Ginger Productions, marking a move into television production.
April 1995: Returning to Radio with Radio 1 Breakfast Show
In April 1995, Chris Evans returned to radio to host the flagship Radio 1 Breakfast Show, negotiating clauses allowing him to continue television production through his Ginger company.
December 1995: Pub-Crawl and Fine
In December 1995, Chris Evans was fined £7,000 after taking his crew on a 17-hour pub-crawl, ending two hours before they were due on air, marking the first major conflict with Radio 1 management.
1995: Don't Forget Your Toothbrush Broadcast
Between 1994 and 1995, Ginger Productions' first major programme, Don't Forget Your Toothbrush, was broadcast, marking a significant milestone for Evans's production company.
1996: Making Editions of TFI Friday
From 1996, Chris Evans began making editions of Channel 4's TFI Friday, combining celebrity interviews, music, and games, and mirroring the formula of his radio show.
1996: Complaints and Demands at Radio 1
In 1996, Chris Evans faced investigations by broadcasting watchdogs due to numerous complaints against his show, while also making public demands of Radio 1 management, including a request for a change in his show hours.
January 1997: Quitting Radio 1
In January 1997, Chris Evans's spell at Radio 1 ended when he quit after his demand not to host the show on Friday was not accepted, marking a contentious departure from the station.
October 1997: Mark and Lard Take Over Radio 1 Breakfast Show
In October 1997, Mark Radcliffe and Marc Riley (Mark and Lard) took over The Radio 1 Breakfast Show, following Chris Evans's departure, and subsequently being replaced by Kevin Greening and Zoe Ball.
October 1997: First Show on Virgin Radio
On 13 October 1997, Chris Evans had his first show on Virgin Radio, the same day as Kevin Greening and Zoë Ball started on Radio 1, prompting an increase in station listening figures.
1998: Evans and McGiffin divorced
In 1998, Chris Evans and Carol McGiffin divorced.
1998: Out-of-court arrangement reached regarding daughter
In 1998, Chris Evans and former fiancée Alie Ward reached an out-of-court arrangement whereby Evans provided a home for his daughter Jade and an allowance to Ward.
March 2000: Evans agreed to sale of Ginger Media Group
On 14 March 2000, Chris Evans agreed to the sale of Ginger Media Group to Scottish Media Group for £225 million, making him the highest-paid entertainer in the UK.
May 2000: Evans met Billie Piper
In May 2000, Chris Evans met teenage pop star Billie Piper, whom he dated for a while.
May 2000: Station fined for Evans' on-air endorsement
In May 2000, the station Chris Evans worked at was fined £75,000 for his repeated on-air endorsement of Ken Livingstone in the London mayoral elections.
December 2000: TFI Friday was cancelled
Following poor reviews and Chris Evans handing over presentation duties, TFI Friday was cancelled in December 2000.
2000: Highest Paid Entertainer
By 2000, Chris Evans was recognized as the UK's highest-paid entertainer, according to the Sunday Times Rich List, marking a peak in his earning power and public profile.
January 2001: Evans banned from driving for speeding
In January 2001, Chris Evans was banned from driving for 56 days and fined £600 after admitting to a speeding charge.
May 2001: Evans married Billie Piper in Las Vegas
On 6 May 2001, Chris Evans married Billie Piper in a £200 ceremony at the Little Church of the West in Las Vegas. Piper was 18 at the time.
June 2001: Dismissal from Virgin Radio
On 28 June 2001, Chris Evans was dismissed from Virgin Radio for repeatedly failing to arrive at work, following an "18-hour bender" and tabloid photographs, marking a controversial end to his tenure.
August 2002: Setting Up UMTV
In August 2002, Chris Evans established UMTV, a radio and television production company aimed at specializing in live entertainment programming, expanding his role in the media industry.
August 2002: Crew member drowned on Evans's yacht
In August 2002, a crew member on Chris Evans's sailing yacht Nausicaa drowned after being struck by a sailing boom.
June 2003: Judgement in Evans v SMG Television Ltd.
On 26 June 2003, Justice Lightman ruled in the judgement of Evans v SMG Television Ltd. that Chris Evans had been fairly dismissed from Virgin Radio and was not entitled to share options, criticizing Evans for his "prima donna" attitude.
2003: McGiffin was scathing about Evans
As late as 2003, Carol McGiffin was scathing about Chris Evans in newspaper articles.
September 2004: News stories circulated regarding a trial separation
In September 2004, news stories circulated regarding a trial separation between Chris Evans and Billie Piper.
April 2005: Presenting UK Radio Aid and Bank Holiday Shows
From April 2005, Chris Evans presented the breakfast slot of UK Radio Aid and a number of one-off bank holiday shows for BBC Radio 2, including coverage of the Live 8 concert, marking a return to public broadcasting.
September 2005: Joining Radio 2 on a Permanent Basis
In September 2005, Chris Evans joined Radio 2 on a permanent basis, presenting a weekly Saturday afternoon show, solidifying his comeback to the station.
December 2005: Evans presented OFI Sunday on ITV
In November and December 2005, Chris Evans presented OFI Sunday on ITV with Billie Piper as the first guest. The show was cancelled after just five shows due to poor reviews and low viewing figures.
2005: Evans and Piper confirmed divorce
In 2005, Chris Evans and Billie Piper confirmed that they would divorce, with Piper publicly stating that she would take no money from Evans.
2005: Evans crashed his Ferrari
In 2005, Chris Evans crashed his silver Ferrari 575M Maranello into a verge near his then Surrey home.
2005: Evans met Natasha Shishmanian
In 2005, Chris Evans met Natasha Shishmanian at the All*Star Cup celebrity tournament in Newport, Wales. He gave his 17-year-old caddy at the event a £10,000 Russian Kristall Smolensk diamond he won for the quality of his play.
2005: New Career on BBC Radio 2
In 2005, Chris Evans started a new career on BBC Radio 2, marking a shift in his broadcasting focus.
March 2006: Evans announced as successor to Radio 2's Drive time show
In March 2006, Chris Evans was announced as the successor to Johnnie Walker as the host of Radio 2's Drive time show. The show began on 18 April.
April 2006: Hosting Drivetime Programme
In April 2006, Chris Evans began hosting his long-running Drivetime programme on BBC Radio 2, solidifying his presence on the station.
May 2006: Evans named Music Radio Personality of the Year
In May 2006, Chris Evans was named Music Radio Personality of the Year at the Sony Radio Academy Awards.
August 2006: RAJAR audience figures published
In August 2006, RAJAR audience figures showed Chris Evans had 150,000 fewer listeners than Johnnie Walker's last show, but was on par with previous years for the drivetime show on Radio 2.
October 2006: RAJAR audience figures showed increase in listeners
In October 2006, the second set of RAJAR figures showed Chris Evans's audience was up by 109,000 year-on-year and up by 33,000 compared with the previous quarter. The figures showed he was drawing an average audience of 4.9 million a day on his drivetime show.
2006: The BRIT Awards
In 2006, Chris Evans presented The BRIT Awards, continuing his role as a presenter.
May 2007: Evans and Piper divorced
Almost three years after they had separated, Chris Evans and Billie Piper divorced in May 2007.
August 2007: Evans and Shishmanian married
In August 2007, Chris Evans and Natasha Shishmanian married, and held a reception in Faro, Portugal.
September 2007: Evans and Shishmanian started helicopter lessons
In September 2007, Chris Evans and Natasha Shishmanian started taking helicopter lessons at Shoreham Airport.
2007: Show averaging over five million listeners
By the end of 2007, Chris Evans' drivetime show was averaging over five million listeners.
2007: Evans won 'music radio personality' the following year
In 2007, Chris Evans won 'music radio personality' award, while his show won the Entertainment award. Evans was also voted the 82nd most influential media personality in The Guardian newspaper's poll.
March 2008: Evans said he had taken "magic mushrooms"
In March 2008, Chris Evans said in his Radio 2 blog that he had taken "magic mushrooms" two days before attending a Meat Loaf concert at the Royal Albert Hall. The Metropolitan Police investigated.
May 2008: Evans bought a 1961 Ferrari for record price
On 18 May 2008, Chris Evans bought a 1961 250 GT Spyder California SWB formerly owned by US actor James Coburn for the then world record price of 6.4 million euros.
September 2009: Evans to take over breakfast show from Terry Wogan
On 7 September 2009, it was announced that Chris Evans would take over the breakfast show from Terry Wogan after Wogan announced his intention to leave the show at the end of the year.
2009: Evans narrated the CBeebies Christmas pantomime
In 2009, Chris Evans narrated the CBeebies Christmas pantomime.
January 2010: Evans took over the Radio 2 breakfast show
On 11 January 2010, Chris Evans took over the Radio 2 breakfast show. His first three songs were The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love" and "Got to Get You into My Life"; and Frank Sinatra's "Come Fly with Me".
May 2010: Evans bought a 1963 Ferrari for £12 million
In May 2010, Chris Evans bought a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO for £12 million. He sold it three years later for $25 million to a Swiss collector.
2010: Hosting The Chris Evans Breakfast Show and The One Show
In 2010, Chris Evans began hosting The Chris Evans Breakfast Show every weekday morning and presented The One Show on Fridays, expanding his role at the BBC.
2010: Evans replaced Adrian Chiles as co-presenter of The One Show
In 2010, Chris Evans replaced Adrian Chiles as the Friday co-presenter of The One Show on BBC One, presenting with Alex Jones.
January 2011: Evans presented Famous and Fearless on Channel 4
In January 2011, Chris Evans returned to Channel 4 to present a new reality show Famous and Fearless, in which eight celebrities were arranged into two teams, 'Boys' and 'Girls'.
February 2011: Famous and Fearless axed after one series
In February 2011, it was reported that the show Famous and Fearless, presented by Chris Evans, had been axed after one series due to poor ratings.
June 2011: Jonny Saunders replaced by Vassos Alexander
In June 2011, Jonny Saunders was replaced by Vassos Alexander as the sports presenter on Chris Evans' Radio 2 breakfast show.
2011: Co-hosting Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park
From 2011, Chris Evans co-hosted Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park, becoming a regular fixture at the annual event.
January 2015: Evans became a grandfather
On 9 January 2015, Chris Evans became a grandfather when his daughter Jade gave birth to her son.
June 2015: Evans signed deal to be main presenter on Top Gear
On 16 June 2015, the BBC announced that Chris Evans had signed a three-year deal to be the main presenter on the BBC Two motoring show Top Gear.
2015: Evans quit The One Show to focus on Top Gear
In 2015, Chris Evans announced he was quitting The One Show to focus on Top Gear.
2015: Leading New Top Gear Line-up and Revival of TFI Friday
In 2015, Chris Evans signed a three-year deal to lead a new Top Gear line-up and presented a revival series of TFI Friday, marking a return to two significant television programs.
February 2016: New Top Gear presenters announced
In February 2016, it was confirmed that Matt LeBlanc, Rory Reid, Sabine Schmitz, Chris Harris and Eddie Jordan would also be joining Chris Evans for the twenty third series of Top Gear.
May 2016: New series of Top Gear began airing
In May 2016, the new series of Top Gear, featuring Chris Evans, began airing.
May 2016: First episode of new Top Gear series broadcast
On 29 May 2016, the first episode of the new six-episode series of Top Gear, featuring Chris Evans, was broadcast.
June 2016: Matt LeBlanc threatened to quit Top Gear unless Evans was fired
In June 2016, it was reported that Matt LeBlanc threatened to quit Top Gear unless Chris Evans was fired, because of inappropriate behaviour on set.
July 2016: Evans stepped down from his presenting role on Top Gear
In July 2016, Chris Evans stepped down from his presenting role on Top Gear after presenting just one series of the show.
July 2016: Evans stepped down as presenter of Top Gear
On 4 July 2016, Chris Evans announced that he had stepped down as presenter of the show and cut his contract with Top Gear short by two years due to strong criticism of his presenting style.
November 2016: Evans awarded honorary degree
On 15 November 2016, Chris Evans was awarded an honorary degree from York St John University.
April 2017: BBC's Highest-Paid Presenter
In April 2017, Chris Evans was the BBC's highest-paid presenter, earning just under £2.25 million annually, highlighting his continued prominence and value to the broadcasting corporation.
April 2017: Evans was the BBC's highest paid presenter
In the tax year to April 2017, Chris Evans was the BBC's highest paid presenter, earning between £2.2 million and £2.25 million.
May 2018: Evans' mother died
On 3 May 2018, Chris Evans's mother Minnie died at the age of 92.
September 2018: Evans announced he would be leaving the show for Virgin Radio
On 3 September 2018, Chris Evans announced live on air that he would be leaving the show and the station in December for Virgin Radio. The BBC Director General cited salary releases as a contributing factor. On 11 September the BBC Director General Lord Hall of Birkenhead told the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee that, as well as wanting a new challenge, releasing the salaries of those at the BBC earning more than £150,000 had been a contributing factor in Evans's leaving.
September 2018: Leaving The Radio 2 Breakfast Show
On 3 September 2018, Chris Evans announced that he would be leaving The Radio 2 Breakfast Show on Christmas Eve and moving to Virgin Radio UK to present its breakfast show, signalling a major shift in his radio career.
December 2018: Evans' Radio 2 show officially ended
On 24 December 2018, Chris Evans' Radio 2 breakfast show officially ended. He moved to Virgin with most of his Radio 2 team.
2018: Co-hosting Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park
In 2018, Chris Evans co-hosted Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park, concluding his regular appearances at the annual event.
2018: Death of Minnie Beardsall
In 2018, Chris Evans's mother, Minnie Beardsall, passed away, marking a significant loss for Evans.
January 2019: Zoe Ball replaces Evans on the show
In January 2019, Zoe Ball replaced Chris Evans on the Radio 2 breakfast show.
August 2023: Evans flipped over an auto rickshaw at his festival
In August 2023, Chris Evans flipped over an auto rickshaw at his own festival in Hampshire, and two passengers sustained minor injuries.
August 2023: Evans revealed he was being treated for melanoma
On 21 August 2023, Chris Evans revealed he was being treated for melanoma.
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