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Coronation Street star Nigel Havers has revealed his experience dealing with Margaret Thatcher (Image: ITV)
Before his memorable role as the charming yet deceitful Lewis Archer on ITV’s Coronation Street, Nigel Havers, now 74, had a fascinating career trajectory that included a stint as a BBC researcher. Havers, whose soap opera character met his end in 2019, spent nine years at the BBC, supporting well-known radio host Jimmy Young. During this time, he managed to snag a major scoop—securing Margaret Thatcher’s first radio interview, a move that allowed him to engage with the future Prime Minister on a personal level before the broadcast.
In a recent interview with Express.co.uk, Havers reminisced about that pivotal moment. He revealed, “It wasn’t my original idea. The suggestion actually came from my father, Sir Michael Havers, who was then the Attorney General for England and Wales. Thatcher had just risen to lead the Conservative Party, becoming the head of the opposition. During a production meeting, I proposed, ‘Why not invite Margaret Thatcher?’ To my surprise, the idea was initially dismissed, and I thought to myself, maybe I should keep such suggestions to myself in the future.”
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Margaret Thatcher’s first radio interview was orchestrated by Nigel Havers (Image: Getty)
However, persuaded by his father, he continued to press the issue, and they eventually said yes to the suggestion. This then required Nigel to actually put the proposal to Margaret herself.
“I went to see Margaret Thatcher in the House of Commons, and I read out all the questions,” he recalled. “I wrote out 30 questions with Jimmy to ask her. She looked at them and after a pause, she said, I’ll answer questions 2, 7, 15, 26 and 29 and then off you go!” he laughed.
“It came to the morning of doing the show, and Jimmy was so hacked off with me, he was saying, ‘Oh my God, I wish I had never agreed’.
Nigel Havers worked as a radio researcher before finding fame as an actor (Image: Getty)
“he eventually arrived with just one bodyguard, and Jimmy Young got up, looking like thunder, looked at her, and I swear to God, he fell in love with her there and then. And they sat down for a 15-minute interview that went on for nearly 58 minutes.
“It was a sensational interview, and he was just brilliant. I’ve never seen him be so good. And he just fell in love with her, and she with him, and she then came back every year, for years,” Nigel revealed.
Of course, Nigel’s radio research days are a long way behind him now, and his latest job sees him take his one-man show on a tour of the UK throughout this year. Asked what people can expect, he simply says: “Me!”
Elaborating, he said: “I’m 74, and people kept saying, ‘You must do your one-man show’ and I thought, ‘No, no, I’m far too young’.” He erupts into laughter. “Then I realised that I wasn’t.”
Nigel Havers Talking B*ll**** runs nationwide throughout 2026; visit ticketmaster.co.uk for dates and more information