From being given away at just three months old in Jamaica to becoming one of the most recognisable faces on British television, Mr Motivator’s story is much bigger than Lycra and morning workouts.
In this episode of Beginning Middle End, Mo Gilligan sits down with the legendary Mr Motivator — Derrick Evans — for an incredible conversation about resilience, fatherhood, ambition, health and the extraordinary journey that made him a household name.
Mr Motivator opens up about arriving in Britain as a child, facing prejudice, becoming a single father, experiencing homelessness and taking whatever jobs he could to keep food on the table. He also reveals the entrepreneurial ventures that came before television, the business mistake that cost him everything, and the TEN-YEAR pursuit that eventually led to his breakthrough on GMTV.
He shares the remarkable story of advertisers initially refusing to back a Black man doing fitness on breakfast television — before viewers jammed the phone lines demanding more.
From selling 1.2 MILLION copies of his first fitness video and working out with some of the world’s biggest stars, to his incredible resurgence during lockdown, receiving an MBE and now tackling bed poverty through Mr Motivator’s Bed Bank, this is a story about refusing to stop moving — whatever life throws at you.
At 73, Mr Motivator says he plans on making it to 114. After hearing this conversation, you might believe him.
Watch to the end for some brilliant stories involving Tony Blair, Luther Vandross, Cindy Crawford and why Mo finally has to promise Mr Motivator he’ll get on a bike.
👇 What’s YOUR earliest memory of Mr Motivator? Let us know in the comments.
👍 Like the episode, subscribe and share it with someone who needs a little motivation today.
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