Michael Cockerell

Michael Roger Lewis Cockerell, born 26 August 1940, is a British broadcaster and journalist recognized for his work in political documentary making. With a career spanning several decades, he is the BBC's most established figure in the genre, having produced numerous political programmes for television and radio that have received Emmy awards.

**Early Life and Education**

Cockerell was born in the United Kingdom. His father was Professor Hugh Anthony Lewis Cockerell, OBE, who served as Secretary General of the Chartered Insurance Institute and was an authority on insurance law. His mother was Fanny Cockerell (née Jochelman), an author and playwright, and the daughter of Dr. David Salomon Jochelman, a prominent leader within the British Jewish community.

He attended Kilburn Grammar School and later studied at Heidelberg University. Subsequently, he matriculated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, where he studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1962 and a Master of Arts in 1968.

**Career**

Cockerell’s professional career commenced in journalism; from 1962 to 1966, he worked as a magazine journalist. In 1966, he joined the BBC Africa service as a producer and served in that role until 1968. Moving into current affairs, he worked for BBC from 1968 to 1987, initially producing for the "24 Hours" series until 1972, then reporting for "Midweek" from 1972 to 1975, and subsequently working on the flagship series "Panorama" until 1987.

Following his tenure at the BBC, Cockerell became a freelance television reporter and documentary maker focusing extensively on British politics. His notable works include biographical documentaries on prominent political figures such as Margaret Thatcher ("The Making of the Iron Lady," 2008), Edward Heath ("Sir Ted: A Film Portrait of Edward Heath," 2005), Alan Clark, Barbara Castle, Roy Jenkins ("A Very Social Democrat," 1996), Michael Howard, David Cameron, Denis Healey ("The Best Prime Minister Labour Never Had?", 2015), and Boris Johnson ("The Irresistible Rise").

His portfolio has also featured thematic programmes including "How We Fell For Europe" (2005), "The Lost World of the Seventies" (2012), "The Marketing of Margaret Thatcher" (1983), "Blair's Thousand Days – The Lady and the Lords" (2000), "Life in Whips Office" (1995), "Inside 10 Downing Street" (2000), and "Cabinet Confidential" (2001).

Cockerell has produced multi-part series such as the "How to Be" trilogy (including "How to Be Chancellor" (2010), "How to Be Foreign Secretary" (1998), and "How to Be Home Secretary" (1999)), as well as series examining international relations, Whitehall, and the UK's Great Offices of State. His work includes observational documentaries like "News from Number 10" and comprehensive analyses of political tenures, such as "Inside the Commons" (2015), a project he pursued over six years reaching broadcast.

In the context of electoral politics, Cockerell made the documentary "How to Win the TV Debate" (2010), analyzing the influence of televised debates in UK elections. He has interviewed eight UK Prime Ministers, a record among British political broadcasters. Notably, before the 2003 Iraq invasion, he conducted an interview with Tony Blair titled "Hotline to the President," which garnered media attention for Blair's remarks on the transatlantic "special relationship."

Cockerell has also contributed shorter profiles on figures like Ed Miliband and Theresa May for BBC's "Newsnight," and has produced radio documentaries, including "The Trial of David Irving" (2004) and "Tales from the Cutting Room" (2006). He contributed profile episodes on individuals such as Conrad Black (2007, 2010) and Michael Martin (2008).

Since 2011, Cockerell has held the position of visiting professor of Politics at Nottingham University. He has also lectured at the London School of Economics and Nuffield College, Oxford. He delivered the Huw Wheldon Lecture for BBC Two in 2000 and has acted as a consultant for the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

In 2021, his book titled *Unmasking Our Leaders: Confessions of a Political Documentary-Maker* was published by Biteback.

**Personal Life**

Cockerell has been married three times and has seven children. His first marriage was to Anne Christine Adriane Faber in 1970; they divorced in 1980. She was the daughter of Julian Faber and Lady Caroline Faber, herself a daughter of Harold Macmillan, British Prime Minister. The couple had one son and one daughter.

His second marriage was to Bridget Alexandra Heathcoat-Amory in 1984, with whom he had two daughters; they divorced in 1990. In 2011, he married BBC producer Anna Lloyd, with whom he has three daughters. The couple resides in Notting Hill.

He is a cricket enthusiast, a playing member of the Marylebone Cricket Club, and is affiliated with the Lord’s Taverners and the Bushmen Cricket Club.

**Awards and Honours**

Cockerell received an Emmy Award in 1980 for the Panorama episode "Who Killed Georgi Markov?" He has also earned the Royal Television Society’s Best Documentary Award (1982), the Golden Nymph Award in Monte Carlo (1988), the Judges' Award for Contribution to Politics from the Political Studies Association (2008), and the James Cameron Special Award (2010).

In recognition of his contributions, he was made an honorary fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, in 2011, and received an honorary doctorate from the University of East Anglia in 2007.