List of Presenters On Top of The Pops - 1980s–1991

1980s–1991

The close association with Radio 1 continued into the 1980s, with all TOTP presenters drawn from the ranks of DJs at the station. The list below represents the main TOTP presenters during this period with many other Radio 1 DJs, for example Liz Kershaw, Adrian Juste and Adrian John also appearing on special programmes such as Christmas broadcasts and milestones for TOTP or Radio 1. For this reason, the 30 September 1982 show celebrating Radio 1's fifteenth birthday affords Annie Nightingale, in her one and only appearance and as one of nineteen presenters that day, the honour of being the first female presenter of Top of the Pops, beating Janice Long – who would go on to present TOTP regularly for nearly six years – by three months.

By the end of the decade, the bond with Radio 1 seemed unbreakable with the show being simulcast on the station from 1988 and even traffic reporters like Sybil Ruscoe trying their hand at presenting TOTP. Presenters were also brought in from children's television, including Children's BBC presenters Andy Crane and Simon Parkin, Blue Peter's Caron Keating, and Anthea Turner and Jenny Powell who worked together on Saturday morning show UP2U. With the exception of Turner, who presented until 1991, all appointments were short-lived proving indicative of the diffusion TOTP was about to undergo from Radio 1 in the 1990s.

Jimmy Savile (1964–1984, plus 31 December 1988, 19 October 2001 and 30 July 2006)
Dave Lee Travis (1974–1984, plus 30 July 2006)
David Jensen also known as "Kid Jensen" (1976–1984, plus 31 December 1988)
Peter Powell (1977–1988)
Mike Read (1978–1989, plus 30 July 2006)
Simon Bates (1979–1988)
Richard Skinner (1980–1985, plus 6 October 1988 and 19 January 1989)
Tommy Vance (1980–1984)
Steve Wright (1980–1989, plus Top of the Pops 2: 1997-2004, 2006–2007, 2008, 2009)
John Peel (1981–1987) plus late 1995)
Andy Peebles (1979,1981–1984)
Tony Blackburn (1967–1979,1981–1983, plus 31 December 1988 and 30 July 2006)
Mike Smith (1982–1988)
Janice Long (1982–1988, plus 30 July 2006)
Gary Davies (1982–1991)
Pat Sharp (1982–1983, plus 30 July 2006)
Bruno Brookes (1984–1991, 1994–1995)
Dixie Peach (1985–1986)
Paul Jordan (1985–1986)
Simon Mayo (1986–1991, 1994–1996)
Nicky Campbell (1988–1991, 1994–1997)
Mark Goodier (1988–1991, 1994–1996, read the Top 20 chart rundown out-of-vision: 1997–2002)
Andy Crane (1988–1989)
Anthea Turner (1988–1991)
Sybil Ruscoe (1988–1989)
Jenny Powell (1989)
Jakki Brambles (1989–1991)

Special appearances:

7 August 1980 – after hosting alone in 1977, Elton John returned to co-host with Peter Powell
14 August 1980 – Roger Daltrey of The Who co-presented with Tommy Vance
21 August 1980 – Cliff Richard co-presented with Steve Wright
28 August 1980 – B.A. Robertson co-presented with Peter Powell
4 September 1980 – Kevin Keegan co-presented with Dave Lee Travis
25 September 1980 – Russ Abbot co-presented with Mike Read
30 October 1980 – Colin Berry co-presented with Peter Powell
9 July 1981 – Alan Freeman and Pete Murray both returned after over a decade's absence to present with Jimmy Savile
25 December 1981 – Paul Gambaccini co-presented alongside Adrian Juste and former presenter Paul Burnett, with regular presenters Andy Peebles, Dave Lee Travis, Simon Bates, David Jensen, Tony Blackburn, John Peel, Steve Wright, Peter Powell, Jimmy Savile, Richard Skinner and Mike Read
25 March 1982 – footballer Garth Crooks co-presented with Peter Powell
30 September 1982 – Radio 1 celebrated its fifteenth anniversary with a special TOTP featuring DJs Paul Gambaccini, Adrian John, Adrian Juste, Jonathan King, Alexis Korner and Annie Nightingale, as well as former presenter Paul Burnett and regular presenters Dave Lee Travis, Andy Peebles, Mike Read, David Jensen, Tony Blackburn, John Peel, Jimmy Savile, Mike Smith, Steve Wright, Tommy Vance, Richard Skinner and Peter Powell
5 May 1983 – TOTP celebrated its thousandth show with the return of Noel Edmonds and David Jacobs as well as Paul Gambaccini and regular presenters Dave Lee Travis, Steve Wright, John Peel, Gary Davies, Mike Smith, Peter Powell, Simon Bates, Tommy Vance, Richard Skinner, Mike Read, Tony Blackburn, David Jensen, Andy Peebles, Janice Long, Jimmy Savile and Pat Sharp
25 December 1983 – Adrian John guest presented with Simon Bates, Janice Long, Mike Smith, Andy Peebles, Tommy Vance, Richard Skinner, Peter Powell and Gary Davies
25 December 1984 – no regular presenters featured with performers linking between songs
27 December 1984 – Lenny Henry
25 December 1985 – Jonathan King was guest presenter alongside John Peel, Janice Long, Dixie Peach, Steve Wright and Gary Davies
5 May 1988 – Adrian John co-presented with Bruno Brookes
11 August 1988 – Liz Kershaw was guest presenter with Bruno Brookes
6 October 1988 – Richard Skinner returned after three years to co-present with Simon Mayo
20 October 1988 – Caron Keating of Blue Peter co-presented with Steve Wright
17 November 1988 – Susie Mathis co-presented with Gary Davies
8 December 1988 – Caron Keating co-presented with Nicky Campbell
31 December 1988 – TOTP's 25th anniversary saw the return of Jimmy Savile, David Jacobs, Pete Murray, Alan Freeman, Kenny Everett, David Jensen, Tony Blackburn, David Hamilton and Peter Powell along with Paul Gambaccini alongside regular presenters Simon Bates, Mark Goodier and Mike Read
19 January 1989 – Richard Skinner co-presented with Bruno Brookes
23 February 1989 – Susie Mathis co-presented with Bruno Brookes
9 March 1989 – Lenny Henry co-presented with Hale and Pace and Nicky Campbell for Comic Relief. All would go on to hold the golden microphone in the mid-1990s (see below)
16 March 1989 – Rod McKenzie was guest presenter with Radio 1 breakfast show colleagues and TOTP presenters Simon Mayo and Sybil Ruscoe
15 June 1989 – Simon Parkin of the Children's BBC Broom Cupboard co-presented with Mark Goodier
29 June 1989 - Tim Smith was an uncredited co-presenter with Anthea Turner
27 July 1989 – Simon Parkin co-presented with Mark Goodier
28 December 1989 – Paul Gambaccini was guest presenter of a special end-of-decade show with Mike Read