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Fordyce was born on 15 October 1928 in the [[Lincoln, England|Lincoln]] district of St. Giles, the son of customs and excise officer Frank Joseph Marriott and his wife, Catherine Mary ({{Nee|Armstrong}}).<ref name=ODNBEntry>{{cite ODNB|last=Leigh|first=Spencer|title=Fordyce, Keith [real name Keith Fordyce Marriott]|date=8 January 2015|id=103613}}</ref><ref name="LNatives">{{cite book |last=R. Ketteringham |first=John |url=https://archive.org/details/lincolnshirenati0000unse/ |title=Lincolnshire Natives and Others |publisher=John R. Ketteringham |year=2002 |isbn=0-9512738-7-6 |volume=III |location=Lincolnshire, England |pages=52-54 |chapter=Fordyce, Keith (1928-) Broadcaster |url-access=registration |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> He attended [[Lincoln Christ's Hospital School|Lincoln School]] (today the Lincoln Christ's Hospital School) from 1937 to 1947,<ref name="LNatives" /> and won the 1946 Lincolnshire Junior Lawn Tennis Championship.<ref name="ODNBEntry" /><ref name="LEchoAug1962">{{cite news |date=16 August 1962 |title=Keith Hits The High Spots |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lincolnshire-echo-keith-hits-the-high-sp/155385222/ |access-date=16 September 2024 |work=[[Lincolnshire Echo]] |page=6 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Fordyce only competed in the competition once before he was ruled ineligible when he turned 18.<ref name="LNatives" />
Upon leaving school,<ref name="LEchoAug1955">{{cite news |date=16 August 1955 |title=Local Choice |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lincolnshire-echo-local-choice-lincoln/155354313/ |access-date=15 September 2024 |work=[[Lincolnshire Echo]] |page=3 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> he joined the [[Air Training Corps]] when he was 15 and did his national service with the [[Volunteer Reserves (United Kingdom)|Volunteer Reserves]] with the [[Royal Air Force]] in Germany for two years.<ref name="LNatives" /><ref name="LEchoAug1962" /> Fordyce was seconded to the [[British Forces Broadcasting Service|British Forces Network]] (now BFBS) in Hamburg,<ref name="KeithVariety">{{cite news |date=2 June 1962 |title=Variety is the spice of Keith's life |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-post-variety-is-the-spice-of-kei/155387595/ |access-date=16 September 2024 |work=[[Bristol Evening Post]] |page=5 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref name="CommonwealthWhosWho">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/whoswhoincommonw0000unse_2/ |title=Who's Who in the Commonwealth |publisher=[[International Biographical Centre]] |year=1982 |isbn=0-900332-70-0 |editor-last=Kay |editor-first=Ernest |edition=Second |location=Cambridge, England |page=180 |editor-last2=Doran |editor-first2=Joan |url-access=registration |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> and he conducted sports commentary, continuity announcing, disc jockeying, producing and presenting.<ref name="LEchoAug1955" /><ref name="GuardianObit">{{cite news |last=Hayward |first=Anthony |date=1 April 2011 |title=Keith Fordyce obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2011/apr/01/keith-fordyce-obituary |access-date=15 September 2024 |work=[[The Guardian]] |authorlink=Anthony Hayward}}</ref><ref name="GrimsbyET1970Profile">{{cite news |date=14 November 1970 |title=Keith has an eye for beauty |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/grimsby-evening-telegraph-keith-has-an-e/155392433/ |access-date=16 September 2024 |work=[[Grimsby Evening Telegraph]] |page=6 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
After completing his national service, he read law at [[Emmanuel College, Cambridge]] from 1949 to 1952,<ref name="CommonwealthWhosWho" /><ref name="TimesObit">{{cite news |date=1 April 2011 |title=Keith Fordyce |url=https://link-gale-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A252953978/GPS?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=f10cfe12 |url-access=subscription |access-date=15 September 2024 |work=[[The Times]] |page=76 |via=Gale Academic OneFile}}</ref> graduating with a [[master's degree]].<ref name="LNatives" /> Fordyce served as the president of the [[Cambridge University Law Society]] from 1951 to 1952,<ref name="CommonwealthWhosWho" /> and founded and edited ''Light Blue'', the university's sport magazine.<ref name="ODNBEntry" /> After that, he worked as a personal management trainee at [[Sainsbury's]] while endeavouring to get a job in radio.<ref name="LNatives" /><ref name="GuardianObit" /> Fordyce also worked as a hedgecutter and a postman.<ref name="BEMMarch1956">{{cite news |date=20 March 1956 |title=Disc jockey gets a law degree |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-evening-mail-disc-jockey-gets/155354372/ |access-date=15 September 2024 |work=[[Birmingham Evening Mail]] |page=1 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
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From 1952 to 1955, Fordyce worked as a freelancer,<ref name="CommonwealthWhosWho" /> doing work for the BBC and ITV.<ref name="WhosWhoTV">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/whoswhoontelevis0000unse |title=Who's Who on Television - A fully illustrated to 1000 best known faces on British Television |publisher=Independent Television Books |year=1982 |isbn=0-900727-96-9 |editor1-last=Curthoys |editor1-first=Alan |location=London, England |page=83 |editor2-last=Struthers |editor2-first=John |editor3-last=Doyle |editor3-first=John |url-access=registration |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> In November 1952, he made his first television broadcast commentating on a football match between [[Leyton Orient F.C.]] and [[Hereford F.C.]] for [[BBC Television]].<ref name="Leigh">{{cite news |last=Leigh |first=Spencer |date=29 March 2011 |title=Keith Fordyce: Unflappable host of 'Ready Steady Go!' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/keith-fordyce-unflappable-host-of-lsquoready-steady-gorsquo-2255628.html# |accessdate=29 March 2011 |work=[[The Independent]] |location=London}}</ref> Fordyce became the youngest compere of the [[BBC Light Programme]] morning flagship programme ''[[Housewives' Choice]]'' for a week in August 1955.<ref name="LEchoAug1955" /><ref name="Leigh" /><ref name="Telegraph">{{cite news |date=1 April 2011 |title=Keith Fordyce |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/8422224/Keith-Fordyce.html |access-date=16 September 2024 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]}}</ref> The same year saw him successfully contest a municipal election and he served as a [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] councillor on Wimbledon Borough Council.<ref name="TimesObit" /><ref name="Leigh" />
Fordyce was offered the role of a staff announcer at [[Radio Luxembourg]] in 1955 and remained at the broadcaster as Head of its British Department for three years.<ref name="KeithVariety" /><ref name="GrimsbyET1970Profile" /><ref name="Leigh" /> He was the presenter of the station's weekly ''Top Twenty'' programme.<ref name="Leigh" /> Fordyce introduced the Power Play format to the United Kingdom in which he selected a new release that was featured for a whole week.<ref name="GuardianObit" /> He was also a journalist for [[NME|New Musical Express]] for three years,<ref name="Leigh" /> and returned to England in 1958.<ref name="LNatives" /> Fordyce was a member of the panel of the [[ABC Weekend TV|ABC]] television game show ''For Love or Money'' in 1959.<ref name="GuardianObit" /><ref name="QuizChanges">{{cite news |date=18 July 1959 |title=Changes in 'Love or Money' Quiz |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-evening-mail-changes-in-love/155386762/ |access-date=16 September 2024 |work=[[Birmingham Evening Mail]] |page=3 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He was the compere of the short-lived ITV programme ''Wham!'' in 1960,<ref name="Leigh" /> and was selected to be the first presenter of the ITV television pop music programme ''[[Thank Your Lucky Stars (TV series)|Thank Your Lucky Stars]]'' in 1961.<ref name="GuardianObit" /><ref name="TimesObit" /><ref name="Telegraph" /> Fordyce made a cameo appearance as himself in the 1961 comedy film ''[[Dentist on the Job]]''.<ref name="ODNBEntry" /><ref name="GuardianObit" />
In 1962, he began presenting the local [[Westward Television]] game show ''Treasure Hunt'' for 14 series.<ref name="KeithVariety" /><ref name="TimesObit" /> Fordyce joined the BBC Light Programme in the early 1960s and was the presenter of the lunchtime programme ''Pop Inn''.<ref name="TimesObit" /> In August 1963 he presented the first edition of the Friday night live hour-long youth-orientated pop music magazine ''[[Ready Steady Go!]]'' on [[Associated-Rediffusion]] television, being joined subsequently in 1964 by [[Cathy McGowan (presenter)|Cathy McGowan]] and [[Michael Aldred]].<ref name="Leigh" /><ref name="Telegraph" /> McGowan took over the show when Fordyce left in April 1965.<ref name="TimesObit" /><ref>{{cite news |date=23 February 1965 |title=Keith Fordyce to Leave TV "Beat" Show |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-telegraph-keith-fordyce-to-lea/155388423/ |access-date=16 September 2024 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |page=19 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> In 1964, Fordyce presented ''Search for a Star'', a ITV series that sought to discover a new female television personality.<ref>{{Cite news |date=14 September 1964 |title=Today's Television |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-standard-search-for-a-star-14/155391708/ |access-date=16 September 2024 |work=[[Evening Standard]] |page=4 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=26 September 1964 |title=TTT Sunday |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-chronicle-search-for-a-star-26/155391716/ |access-date=16 September 2024 |work=[[Evening Chronicle]] |page=4 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He was co-presenter of the ITV quiz show ''Groucho'' with [[Groucho Marx]] in 1965, and acted as Marx's interpreter of British customs and sayings.<ref name="GuardianObit" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=12 June 1965 |title=Groucho's Series |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/liverpool-echo-we-cover-the-world-live/155389091/ |access-date=16 September 2024 |work=[[Liverpool Echo|The Liverpool Echo and Evening Express]] |page=2}}</ref> He joined fellow disc jockey [[Annie Nightingale]] as the host of the request programme ''That's for Me''. Fordyce was also the presenter of the BBC Sunday morning radio programme ''[[Easy Beat (radio programme)|Easy Beat]]'' until it was axed when [[BBC Radio 1]] was launched in 1967.<ref name="TimesObit" /> The following year, he presented the BBC darts-based quiz show ''Quiz Time, Gentlemen, Please!''<ref>{{Cite news |date=6 December 1967 |title=Quiz time in the pubs |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-mirror-quiz-time-in-the-pubs-dai/155389712/ |access-date=16 September 2024 |work=[[Daily Mirror]] |page=9 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
Other work for Fordyce included presented the inter-regional dancing contest ''[[Come Dancing]]'',<ref>{{Cite news |date=19 April 1960 |title=Midland dancers are runners-up |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-telegraph-midland-dancers-are-ru/155389632/ |work=[[Derby Evening Telegraph]] |page=9 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> ''Open House'',<ref name="GrimsbyET1970Profile" /> various award shows, New Year's Eve parties and the [[Miss World 1970]] contest with [[Bob Hope]].<ref name="GuardianObit" /><ref name="TimesObit" /> In 1967 he provided the commentary for the BBC's first colour test transmission on [[BBC Two|BBC2]], the first men's singles final of the Open era at [[Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Johnson |first=Michael |date=2 April 2011 |title=Keith Fordyce |url=https://link-gale-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A253061944/GPS?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=e945f768 |url-access=subscription |access-date=16 September 2024 |work=[[The Times]] |page=106 |via=Gale Academic OneFile}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=24 June 2012 |title=From the Observer archive, 25 June 1967: Wimbledon's Watchmen |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2012/jun/24/archive-1967-wimbledon-dan-maskell |access-date=16 September 2024 |website=[[The Observer]]}}</ref> He was the host of ''Late Night Extra'' on [[BBC Radio 2]] between 1969 and 1974,<ref name="Telegraph" /> and eight series of the quiz show ''Town and Country Quiz'' on the same radio station.<ref name="LNatives" /><ref name="TimesObit" /> Fordyce was co-presenter of the [[Thames Television]] self-sufficiency programme ''Kitchen Garden'' with [[Claire Rayner]] for four series from 1976 to 1979.<ref name="GuardianObit" /> Between 1976 and 1978, he was the host of the radio quiz show ''Support Your Local'' that was held between [[BBC Local Radio]] stations.<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 April 1976 |title=Radio Highspots |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-mirror-support-your-local-daily/155391983/ |access-date=16 September 2024 |work=[[Daily Mirror]] |page=19 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=24 November 1978 |title=Radio Highspots |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-mirror-support-your-local-daily/155391992/ |access-date=16 September 2024 |work=[[Daily Mirror]] |page=18 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
For nine years beginning in 1979, he began presenting the Saturday morning BBC Radio 2 quiz programme ''Beat the Record'' in which listeners had to identify pieces of light music.<ref name="LNatives" /><ref name="TimesObit" /> Fordyce briefly returned to Radio Luxembourg in 1983, and presented shows on the commercial radio station [[DevonAir]], and was a founding board member of the station.<ref name="ODNBEntry" /><ref name="GuardianObit" />
==Personal life==
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