Editing Alistair Appleton

{{Short description|English broadcaster and psychotherapist (born 1970)}}
{{EngvarB|date=November 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{BLP primary sources|date=February 2011}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Alistair Appleton
| image              = <!-- {{#statements:P18}} -->
| imagesize          = 
| caption            = 
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1970|2|12}}
| birth_place        = [[Royal Tunbridge Wells]], Kent, England
| death_date         = 
| death_place        = 
| death_cause        = 
| nationality        = 
| occupation         = Broadcaster, [[psychotherapist]], [[meditation]] teacher
| website            = {{URL|http://www.alistairappleton.com}}
}}

'''Alistair Appleton''' (born 12 February 1970)<ref name="bio">{{cite web|url=http://www.alistairappleton.com/pages/f_life.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120718065654/http://www.alistairappleton.com/pages/f_life.html|url-status=dead|date= 2011 |archive-date=18 July 2012|title=Autobiography|publisher=Alistair Appleton|access-date=8 September 2021}}</ref> is an English broadcaster, [[psychotherapist]] and [[meditation]] teacher.<ref name="mind-springs">{{Cite web|url=https://mind-springs.org/alistair-appleton-broadcaster-psychotherapist-and-meditation-teacher/|title=Alistair Appleton - Broadcaster. Psychotherapist. Meditation Teacher.|work=Mindsprings }}</ref>

==Early life and education==
Born in [[Royal Tunbridge Wells]], [[Kent]], to Peter and Sally (née Cooper) Appleton, the younger of two sons, Alistair was brought up in [[Lee-on-the-Solent]], [[Hampshire]], where as a boy he sang in the church choir at St Faith's.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/tv/alistair-appleton-age-29772707 | title=Alistair Appleton's age explored as Escape to the Country star opens up on past | date=20 August 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hampshire-life.co.uk/people/celebrity-interviews/alistair_appleton_on_escaping_to_the_country_and_being_a_proper_hampshire_hog_1_1779419 |title=Alistair Appleton on escaping to the country and being a proper Hampshire Hog |first=Words: Claire |last=Pitcher |date=24 October 2012 |publisher=hampshire-life.co.uk |accessdate=20 November 2016}}</ref>{{fv|date=April 2025}} He earned ten [[O-levels]] and three [[Advanced Level (UK)|A-levels]] at [[St John's College, Portsmouth|St John's College]], [[Portsmouth]].<ref name="bio"/> In 1988, he went to [[Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge]], where he studied [[English Literature]].<ref name="bio"/>

==Career==
On graduating with an [[British undergraduate degree classification#Upper Second Class Honours|upper second class degree]], Appleton left the UK for Poland,<ref name="bio"/> where he took to writing poetry and helped to edit a children's anthology, as well as teaching at the [[University of Gdansk]].<ref name="bio"/> He later taught English in eastern Germany and worked as a translator and journalist for ''[[Deutsche Welle]]'' television. Appleton broke into television with ''Deutsche Welle'', and eventually became the frontman of the channel's youth current-affairs show ''Heat''.<ref name="bio"/>

In 1999, Appleton returned to the UK, where he secured roles on [[British Sky Broadcasting|Sky]]'s Hot TV (2000), [[Five (channel)|Five]]'s ''[[House Doctor]]'' (2000–03), [[BBC Two]]'s ''Rhona'' (2000), the [[Travel Channel]]'s ''Travel On'' (2001), [[BBC One]]'s ''Garden Invaders'' (2001), ''[[Cash in the Attic]]'' (2002–05), [[BBC Food]]'s ''Stately Suppers'' (2005) and had an appearance as himself on the 2006 ''[[Doctor Who]]'' episode ''[[Army of Ghosts]]''. He has also hosted several television specials, including ''[[The Proms]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0996378/ |title=Alistair Appleton |website=IMCDB |access-date=2020-03-22}}</ref>

Appleton also did some acting, including a role in ''[[Footballers' Wives]]'', during 2002. In 2005 he completed ''The Man Who Drank the Universe'', a short documentary on the [[entheogen]] ''[[ayahuasca]]'', an ancient plant brew from the Amazon.<ref>[https://blueberrycreatives.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Jonathan-Granger-Miles.pdf blueberrycreatives.co.uk]{{Dead link|date=March 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

In early January 2007, Appleton appeared in [[BBC America]] promotions for the fourth series of ''Cash in the Attic'', even though he did not appear in that series. Since 2007, he has been one of the presenters for ''[[Escape to the Country]]'' on BBC television. He has also hosted the [[Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment]]'s late night concert series ''[[The Night Shift (concert)|The Night Shift]]'' at London's [[South Bank]].{{citation needed|date=January 2016}}

In January 2016, he appeared on BBC One's ''[[Celebrity Mastermind]]'', where he came joint second with 21 points, with a specialist subject of 20th-century European classical music.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06vsygq |title=Episode 9, 2015/2016, Celebrity Mastermind – BBC One |publisher=BBC |accessdate=20 November 2016}}</ref>

Outside of television, Appleton works as a [[psychotherapist]] at his practice in Brighton and teaches and lectures on [[meditation]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mind-springs.org/about|title=About us|publisher=Mindsprings|access-date=25 February 2024}}</ref> In 2014, he completed an [[Master's degree|MA]] in [[Psychotherapy|Advanced Psychotherapy]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mind-springs.org/teachers/Alistair-Appleton |title=Alistair Appleton |date=30 October 2014 |publisher=mind-springs.org |accessdate=20 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.naht.org.uk/CPD/Conferences/NAHT-Well-being-Conference-23rd-March-2022/Keynote-Speaker-Alistair-Appleton |title=Keynote Speaker - Alistair Appleton |website=NAHT |access-date=27 December 2022 |quote=}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Appleton is gay,<ref name="out">{{cite web |url=http://www.alistairappleton.com/pages/essays/essay_comingout.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721195031/http://www.alistairappleton.com/pages/essays/essay_comingout.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-07-21 |title=Coming Out |publisher=Alistair Appleton |accessdate=4 February 2011}}</ref> and came out at university.<ref name="out"/> In an article in ''[[Gay Times]]'', however, he admits he only fully accepted his sexuality when he lived in Poland and Germany. As of August 2021, Appleton resided with his husband Daniel in a 1930s French sea captain's cottage in the port of [[Newhaven, East Sussex]].<ref name="mind-springs"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/20210810119286/escape-to-the-country-alistair-appleton-husband-daniel-martin/ |title=Escape to the Country: Meet Alistair Appleton's husband Daniel |date=10 August 2021 |website=HELLO!}}</ref>

In 2000 he converted to [[Buddhism]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbcamerica.com/content/74/alistair-appleton-interview.jsp |title=Alistair Appleton Interview – Cash in the Attic |publisher=BBC America |accessdate=4 February 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100824072317/http://www.bbcamerica.com/content/74/alistair-appleton-interview.jsp |archivedate=24 August 2010}}</ref> He later became a proponent of [[Ashtanga (eight limbs of yoga)|Ashtanga]], the decision made after an unhappy period in his 30s. Appleton also considered becoming a monk while in [[Thailand]], but a friend convinced him not to take that step.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/20220525141215/escape-to-the-country-alistair-appleton-talks-about-unhappy-past/ |title=Escape to the Country star Alistair Appleton opens up about unhappy past |date=25 May 2022 |website=Hello! |access-date=27 December 2022 |quote=}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.alistairappleton.com/ Official Website of Alistair Appleton]
*{{IMDb name|0996378}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Appleton, Alistair}}
[[Category:1970 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge]]
[[Category:Converts to Buddhism]]
[[Category:English Buddhists]]
[[Category:English television presenters]]
[[Category:Gay Buddhists]]
[[Category:English LGBTQ writers]]
[[Category:People from Royal Tunbridge Wells]]
[[Category:English gay writers]]
[[Category:21st-century English LGBTQ people]]