SIMON DEECyril Nicholas Henty-Dodd, better known as Simon Dee, was a flamboyant chat show host in the 1960s.After making his name on the pirate radio station Radio Caroline he joined the BBC and was given his own prime time programme in 1967.Dee Time attracted viewing figures of up to 18 million. It ended in 1969 amid contract disputes and Dee himself blamed the subsequent decline in his career on his continuing support of pirate radio.At the height of his game he was known for living the glamorous life, driving a Jaguar and dressing in the latest mod fashions – he was later said to be an inspiration for the film character Austin Powers.After leaving the BBC, he had a short spell with LWT but then found himself excommunicated by the broadcasting establishment. He worked on local radio in Reading and returned to the BBC in the 1980s to host Radio 2's Sounds of the 60s.As well as Dee Time, he had been a DJ on the Light Programme and Radio 1 and a host of Top of the Pops.He died on 29 August, 2009, at the age of 74 after being diagnosed with bone cancer.
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