Henry Blofeld
Henry Blofeld
Legendary cricket broadcaster Henry Blofeld, aka ‘Blowers’, was a mainstay of Test Match Special for nearly fifty years. His voice became the sound of summer for cricket lovers in Britain and the world over. In 2003, he was appointed OBE for services to broadcasting.
Henry was a promising young cricketer, but his prospects of a first-class career were ended by a near-fatal accident at the age of seventeen. He eventually found his way to cricket journalism at The Times, and ultimately to Test Match Special, illuminating each match with his forensic knowledge of the game, as well as entertaining listeners with sightings of snoozing policemen, passing buses, and pigeons on the outfield. Henry has also written and broadcast for numerous papers and networks around the world, especially in Australia and New Zealand.
In 2017, aged 77, Henry declared his long innings in the commentary box over. At close of play on his final test at Lord’s, a full house crowd of more than 30,000 stood and cheered his lap of honour around the boundary.
Since 2002, Henry has performed in theatres around the country, including the Royal Albert Hall. He teamed up with his TMS producer, Peter Baxter, for more than 250 two-man shows, and also had a successful partnership with former England spin bowler, Graeme Swann. Henry now tours the country with his one-man show, and is active on twitter, where he has over 125,000 followers. He lives with his wife between Norfolk and Menorca.