Fred Housego

Fred Housego (born 25 October 1944, Dundee, Scotland) is a former London taxi driver who became a television and radio personality and presenter after winning the BBC television quiz Mastermind in 1980. He did not give up his taxi licence when he began his media career and he was still driving a cab in 2007.

Housego was educated at Kynaston Comprehensive School, where he passed one GCE O-level in British Constitution. In addition to driving a taxi he has also worked as a messenger for an advertising agency, a postman and a registered London Tourist Board tour guide.

In 1980, Housego won a series of Mastermind in front of 18,000,000 viewers, becoming Britain's first celebrity quizzer and beating Ingram Wilcox, who subsequently won £1,000,000 on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. In an interview with Bradley Walsh for Come on Down! The Game Show Story, he said that his knowledge came from being a London Tourist Board-registered tour guide.

In 1981, Housego took part in the international version of Mastermind in Sydney, Australia. He again used The Tower of London as his subject in the competition, having previously used it as his subject in the Mastermind final.

Housego's specialist subject in the final of Mastermind was 'The Tower of London'. Apart from Mastermind, his television appearances include Blankety Blank, The Pyramid Game, History On Your Doorstep, the Six O'Clock Show (on which he was a presenter) and This is Your Life.

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