The veteran presenter talks to Darragh McManus about how the fame of his GAA star grandfather rubbed off on him and his new books about talking animals 'I was quite camera-shy': Des Lynam. Photo: Mike Marsland/WireImage “I’m old now,” says Des Lynam — 82 next September — “but still, I distinctly remember moving to the UK as a child. I didn’t want to go.
” The legendary broadcaster, famous for Grandstand, Countdown and Match of the Day , was the voice and face (and moustache) of British sports telly for decades. His accent was, as Lynam says himself, “very Middle England”. His unruffled demeanour and wry humour were the definition of a David Niven-esque “English gent”.
He was even made an OBE in 2008: the quintessential stamp of approval from Official England..
