It’s Not What You Think- Chris Evans

Synopsis: The story of how one council estate lad made good, really very good, and survived – just about – to tell the tale…

‘I see this book as an account of boy who climbed a glorious mountain and then dug himself a huge black valley for no good reason other than he didn’t know what else to do.’ Chris Evans

Chris Evans’ extraordinary career has seen him become one of this country’s most successful broadcasters and producers. From his early years on Manchester’s Piccadilly radio to Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush, The Big Breakfast and TFI Friday for Channel 4, Chris changed the TV landscape during the ’90s and on BBC Radio 1’s Breakfast show and as owner of Virgin Radio, ushered in the age of the celebrity DJ. His relentless pursuit of success and subversive style were his trademarks.

But then ‘the Chris Evans show’ and Chris Evans’ life became frighteningly blurred at the edges. The more outlandish the antics whether on or off screen or air, the better, for a while at least. The celebrity girlfriends, nights out drinking. Rolling into work late with 7m listeners waiting. For someone who took such pride in his work, what had happened? The country loved him so why wasn’t he happy?

Chris Evans’ autobiography is a funny and frank story of how a boy from a Warrington council estate who started work at 13 and held down 20 different jobs by the time he left school; became the most widely acclaimed broadcaster of his generation. From the early death of his father that literally set him to work, to his meteoric rise in TV and radio, he will talk openly about the highs and lows of his, at times, turbulent career and how his drive to succeed impacted his personal life. This will be a fascinating and surprising life story from one of Britain’s brightest and boldest personalities.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Its-Not-What-You-Think/dp/0007327218

Hot Brands Verdict
As a nation we watched the roller coaster ride that was Chris Evans’ career in the 90’s and his subsequent withdrawal from the limelight. He gave a taster of the content in a fascinating recent interview with Jonathan Ross, and the book doesn’t disappoint; although it is only part one of what promises to be at least two parts of his autobiography. His account of his life is fascinating and as well as charting his own career it is also a chronicle of the era, from his first job at 13, through to his successful career in television and radio.

One of the reasons he gives for his success is putting the effort in to whatever role he performed, whether as a ‘marker-up’ in the newsagents, or later running his own shows in broadcasting, and this aspect of the book gives an intriguing insight into his ambition, drivers and challenges. What we loved was the way the book flowed, it is like an extended interview, his voice clearly comes through, and we see the world through his eyes. This book could turn out to be one of the best selling successes of the year, it’s an utterly honest and open account of one of the UK’s best known celebrities. Highly Recommended!