Nelson Kumah
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Nelson's Biography
Nelson was born Nelson Kofi Vlidzoh Kumah (but he rarely uses his middle names) at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, London and has lived in London all his life.
He grew up in St Johns Wood and Maida Vale, and then gradually downgraded to Queens Park, and more recently Shepherds Bush – where he, famously, lives now.
He went to university at Brunel, where he studied History and American Studies. The trip to America in the second year had nothing to do with his choice of course. The highlight of his university years was scoring the winning goal in the final of the British University Football final of 1998. A story which Nelson could bore you with for many a millennia.
After working at a cinema and bookshop for four years, lounging around in Thailand and Cyprus, he decided to take a career change and took a course in radio production. During this course, Nelson was introduced to a young DJ at One Golden Square, who he’d listen to between 7 and 10pm, together with his partner Pete. This DJ made Nelson realise that he really wanted to get into the radio business.
After a meeting with Geoff, in which they waxed lyrical over the greatness of The Beatles, Geoff set up Nelson’s work experience at Virgin in 2003 in which he worked on the Rock’n’Roll Football show with Dominic Johnson on Saturdays.
Still in 2003, while on his course and in-between work experience at 1 Golden Square, Nelson applied for the BBC Talent Sports Reporter competition. Of course, he fully expected to win, so was not surprised at all when he got the call to go to work at Television Centre, W12.
Nelson then spent four years working for BBC Radio Sport at Radio Five Live, where amongst other things, he reported at the Athens Paralympics and interviewed Sir Alex Ferguson (in the days when he spoke to the BBC).
Now Nelson’s back here, which he likes to think of as his spiritual home, as producer of “The Geoff Show”, where he’ll need to perhaps curb his enthusiasm for Liverpool Football Club, and reacquaint himself with the world of commercial breaks.
Nelson facts:
- He absolutely hates breadcrumbs left in the margarine – to the point that he actually despises anyone who does it.
- Nelson hates bananas with a passion.
- Nelson also believes he has a minor but particular strand of OCD which reveals itself if he touches anything accidentally with a particular finger. He’ll have to touch whatever it was TEN TIMES in a specific number order with all of his other fingers.
Dear Nelson