In the often transient world of broadcasting, one has to think surprisingly hard to recall a time before Nicky Campbell. Ever-present on our radio waves since the 1980s, he was a Radio 1 DJ on Top of the Pops at a time when the station’s jocks almost rivalled pop stars in the celebrity stakes. Riding the ebb and flow of popular culture, his smooth Edinburgh brogue and boyish good looks would appeal equally to television, where he rose seamlessly from twinkly-eyed gameshow host to heavyweight primetime anchor. Indeed, the gravity-defying trajectory of his career – from spinning discs and wheels of fortune to serious presenter of a BBC Radio 5Live talk show and ITV’s Bafta-winning Long Lost Family – suggested that 59-year-old Campbell has led a charmed life.