24 Facts: Jeremy Mansfield

1. Jeremy has done as many celebs have - dropped his first name. He was christened Robert Jeremy Mansfield. We think it was a wise move.

2. He was born in Grahamstown on August 15, somewhere between 1963 and 1967. We can't find an exact year. If you know, fill us in.

3. Small towns have a way of holding onto their young. Once Jem had finished school at the prestigious Kingswood College, he studied speech, drama and journalism at Rhodes University.

4. The drama studies paid off. In 1985 he was awarded the AA Vita Award as the most Promising Young South African Actor.

5. Left! Left! Left, right, left!  Jeremy once had the honour of leading the SA Army band as Drum Major. So he's musical too, it seems.

6. He has released four CDs in his career, and he has also been part of a 'boy band' called Eastlife.

7. Well, he does like the sound of his own voice. In 1985, Jeremy started working at Capitol Radio in KwaZulu-Natal. He continued broadcasting from there up until 1990.

8. Next up: Radio 702. Here his career hit a high-note in 1995 when he hosted the 702 afternoon show. Now there was no separating him from the airwaves.

9. In 1997 he started his 13 year stint with Highveld Stereo as the host of their breakfast show, The Rude Awakening. He resigned in June this year and he presented his last show on Monday 12 July.

10. Obviously a man with so much to say could fill much more than three hours a morning! He then moved into TV.

11. I'd never peg Jeremy as the 'sporty' guy, but he started out presenting segments on Supersport back in the 90s.

12. He ditched the sport and in 1998 he focused on the brain, presenting the quiz show, A Word or 2 on SABC. He also followed in the producer Johan Stemmet's footsteps with some loud, questionable shirts.

13. Jeremy and his wife are so compatible, they even share the same initials! He married Jacqui in 2003.

14. Amongst other things, they enjoy cooking together. Other people clearly enjoy their food as well. Together they published a cookbook called Zhoozsh.

15. Jeremy has also written joke books, and while Vrot Jokes is a best seller, it hasn't been that warmly received by critics. 

16. Like all celebs worth their salt, Jeremy isn't squeaky clean. In 2003 he was summoned to court for allegedly assaulting the owner of a fast food joint. Mansfield counter-sued for verbal abuse. Hmmm...

17. That same year, Jeremy was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. He managed to control it by employing some self control and adopting some recipes from his wife, who is a vegetarian.

18. That wasn't the end of Jeremy's health woes. Jeremy battled Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in 2009 but with the help of aggressive treatment he was able to beat the cancer.

19. There was once this TV show listing 100 Great South Africans. We're not sure how credible this list is, but Jeremy made no. 53 and he is also the only radio personality on the list.

20. Last year Jeremy was voted Radio Personality of The Year at the YOU Spectacular awards.

21. In May this year, Jeremy announced on his breakfast show that he is voicing a character in Toy Story 3. We can't find his credit on IMDb, but we'll take his word for it.

22. He's never afraid to open his mouth. He has even been sued by President Jacob Zuma for his mouthing off.

23. While some sue him, others praise him. His charity work with The Rude Awakening team has endeared him to many of his listeners.

24. Jeremy may not be on air anymore, but his new job keeps him in radio as he is consulting for his former employer, Primedia Broadcasting.

Will you miss Jeremy on the airwaves? Tell us your thoughts.
 
Radio jock, comedian and cancer survivor. Get to know him a little better with our fun fact file.