Martin Kelner

Martin Kelner
Martin Kelner at Radio Aire in 1982
Birth name	Martin Barry Kelner
Born	1949 (age 67–68) Prestwich, Lancashire, England
Country	United Kingdom
Website	http://www.martinkelner.com

Martin B. Kelner is a British journalist, author, comedian, singer, actor and radio presenter.

Kelner studied Arts and Social Studies at Strathclyde University in Glasgow, but dropped out, and he was employed as a reporter on the Western Daily Press in Bristol and for the Oxford Mail. He then joined the Central Office of Information, for whom he worked in Bristol, Lambeth, South London and in Birmingham.

Martin Kelner moved to Radio Hallam in Sheffield to begin his career in radio. He started reading the breakfast show news before moving on to his own late night show. There was a brief spell at London's LBC and Manchester's Piccadilly Radio, before Kelner moved to Leeds in 1981 and the fledgling Radio Aire.

He left Radio Aire in late 1982, and worked for Yorkshire TV for a time on a programme called Calendar It's The Weekend. He was also a co-presenter on a breakfast TV show called BBC Breakfast . Other television excursions for Kelner include Brainwave, a daytime quiz show and Pick of the Week.

His daughter, Martha, won the 2013 Young Sportswriter Award. His younger brother is the journalist and editor, Simon Kelner

In 1984 Kelner joined the BBC. He initially presented the weekday early show on BBC Radio 2 in September and October 1984, and then presented his own Saturday night show on the same station from 6 July 1985 until 24 March 1990, also returning to the early show for two stints during 1985. He then fronted his own Saturday afternoon show on Radio Two from 1 October 1994 to 23 March 1996. He also did many stand-ins for regular presenters on the network, peaking in the mid-1990s when he regularly deputised for Sarah Kennedy on the weekday early show (both when she sat in for Terry Wogan and when she was on holiday herself) and also sat in for Ken Bruce and John Dunn. He also presented editions of the Radio 2 Arts Programme from the north of England, and a programme called Let It Be ... Please! featuring bad or embarrassing cover versions of the Beatles' songs. He then fell out of favour at the national station, presenting his last Radio 2 show sitting in for Sarah Kennedy on 29 November 1996.