Michael Grade, the Tory peer who has been put forward as the government’s choice to chair the broadcasting regulator Ofcom, is one of the most familiar behind-the-scenes figures in British TV.
Lord Grade was born into a royal family of UK showbusiness. His father, Leslie, was an agent who booked stars such as Bob Hope, his uncle Lew was one of the founders of ITV and his uncle Bernard – a Delfont – was a theatre mogul and one-time boss of the record business EMI.
