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{{Short description|British television presenter (1943–2024)}}
{{For|the British educationalist|Chris Searle}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Chris Serle
| image = Chris Serle 2012 (cropped-J1).jpg
| alt =
| caption = Serle in 2012
| height = {{height|ft=6|in=5}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Serle |first=Chris |date= |title=Chris Serle |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1183179/ |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=IMDB.com |language=en}}</ref>
| birth_name = Christopher Richard Serle
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1943|07|13|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Bristol]], England
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2024|09|16|1943|07|13|df=y}}
| alma_mater = [[Trinity College, Dublin]]
| occupation = {{hlist|Television presenter|actor}}
| spouse = {{ubl|{{marriage|Anna Southall|1983|2003|end = divorced}}|Ali Fraser}}
| children = 5
}}

'''Christopher Richard Serle''' (13 July 1943 – 16 September 2024) was a British television presenter, reporter, and actor, best known for being a presenter on ''[[That's Life!]]''

==Early life and career==
Serle was born in [[Henleaze]], Bristol, on 13 July 1943.<ref name = Times>{{cite news|url = https://www.thetimes.com/uk/obituaries/article/chris-serle-obituary-thats-life-co-host-and-tv-presenter-qzp679bwc|title = Chris Serle obituary: That's Life! co-host and TV presenter|newspaper = [[The Times]]|date = 24 September 2024|accessdate = 24 September 2024|url-access = subscription}}</ref> He was educated at [[Clifton College]] and [[Trinity College, Dublin]], where he studied modern languages.<ref name = Times/> He appeared as a foil for Irish comedian [[Dave Allen (comedian)|Dave Allen]] in his series ''Dave Allen at Large'' in 1971, but gained greater UK public recognition as one of the presenters on the TV series ''[[That's Life!]]''.<ref name="Stevens">{{cite book
|last= Stevens
|first= Christopher
|title= Born Brilliant: The Life of Kenneth Williams
|publisher= John Murray
|year= 2010
|isbn = 978-1-84854-195-5
|page=403
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Doherty |first=Aileen |date=February 6, 1981 |title=It's a Full Life (Ealing Gazette) |url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/827699775 |access-date=2022-05-11 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref> He later presented a series in which he, and fellow former ''That's Life!'' presenter [[Paul Heiney]], were pitched into professional situations with no prior knowledge in ''[[The Big Time (TV series)|In at the Deep End]]''.<ref name = BBC/>

In the 1980s, he presented ''[[Windmill (TV series)|Windmill]]'' in which clips from the BBC archives on particular themes were shown (so called as the then base for BBC archives was in Windmill Road, [[Brentford]]). He also presented the viewer-response show ''[[Points of View (TV programme)|Points of View]]'', ''[[The Computer Programme]]'',<ref name="drobe 2007">{{cite news | url=http://www.drobe.co.uk/article.php?id=1781 | title=25th anniversary of BBC Micro TV series | work=[[Drobe]] | date=13 January 2007 | access-date=23 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609041144/http://www.drobe.co.uk/article.php?id=1781 |archive-date=9 June 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and ''[[Monkey Business (TV series)|Monkey Business]]''. On radio, he was the regular host of ''[[Pick of the Week (radio)|Pick of the Week]]'' between 1991 and 1998,<ref name="BBC"/> and a frequent guest presenter until 2006. He was also the interviewer and host of the BBC series ''Greek Language and People'' with [[Katia Dandoulaki]]. From 2005 he served as the honorary president of the Bristol Hospital Broadcasting Service, a registered charity which provides a radio service to the hospitals of Bristol.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date= |title=BHBS Members |url=http://bhbsradio.com/members/ |access-date=2022-05-11 |website=Bristol Hospital Broadcasting Service |language=en-US}}</ref>

Serle featured on an episode of the BBC [[game show]], ''[[The Adventure Game]]'', with [[Sandra Dickinson]] and [[Adam Tandy]] on 16 February 1984. He also presented [[BBC Radio Bristol]]'s ''The Afternoon Show'' for several years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chris Serle |url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1183179/ |access-date=2022-05-11 |website=IMDb}}</ref>

Serle also presented the first series of the ITV gameshow ''[[Runway (game show)|Runway]]'' (1987).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Runway|title=Runway - UKGameshows|website=Ukgameshows.com|access-date=24 September 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/14395261.memories-of-early-tv-quiz-shows/|title=Memories of early TV quiz shows|date=31 March 2016|newspaper=[[The Bolton News]]|access-date=24 September 2024}}</ref>

==Personal life and death==
In 1983, Serle married Anna Southall, a member of the [[Cadbury family]]; they had two children and divorced in 2003.<ref name = Times/> He then married television producer Ali Fraser, and they had three children.<ref name = Times/><ref name = BBC>{{cite news|url = https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y32z6wyg3o|title = Ex-BBC TV and radio presenter Chris Serle dies|date = 23 September 2024|access-date = 23 September 2024|work = [[BBC News]]}}</ref> He was president of the Atwell-Wilson Motor Museum.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://atwellwilson.org.uk/|title=Atwell Wilson Motor Museum|website=Atwellwilson.org.uk|access-date=23 September 2024}}</ref>

Serle died from a stroke on 16 September 2024, at the age of 81.<ref name = Times/><ref name = BBC/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|1183179}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110718183402/http://www.debretts.co.uk/people/biographies/browse/s/9127/Christopher%20Richard%20(Chris)+SERLE.aspx Chris Serle, Esq's Biography]. [[Debrett's]]. Retrieved 2011-03-10.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110706085148/http://www.travelchanneltv.asia/ourpresenters-view.asp?name=Chris%20Serle&ID=17 Meet our Presenters: Chris Serle]. [[Travel Channel]]. Retrieved 2011-03-10.

{{BBC Computer Literacy Project}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2024}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Serle, Chris}}
[[Category:1943 births]]
[[Category:2024 deaths]]
[[Category:British television presenters]]
[[Category:Television personalities from Bristol]]
[[Category:People educated at Clifton College]]
[[Category:Alumni of Trinity College Dublin]]

Chris Serle - Revision history

imported>BrightOrion at 05:09, 20 April 2025