My Most Wanted Life – English Edition

Ray Cokes is undeniably a legend to most Europeans over the age of 30. Initially starting out in life as a fully trained chef, he took on various jobs, before gaining experience as a radio and TV host. In the mid 1980s, Ray joined the famous music channel MTV and later started his pioneering TV show MTV’s Most Wanted – which made him a huge star across Europe, at times drawing more than 60 million viewers. Cokes delivered a form of talk/entertainment/music show that was completely unheard of at the time; an unscripted unrehearsed television experience that has since been widely copied. Now, with his trademark candour and cheekiness, Ray presents, in his own words, a comprehensive picture of his adventurous career lived off the beaten track. From his beginnings as a chef in a rundown hotel in Brighton and first tentative steps as a TV host in Belgium, to his rise to superstardom as the face of MTV Europe. In this revealing work, he also provides insight into his personal life and the time after MTV, detailing a severe depression and serious addiction during the excesses of the 1990s. Naturally, there are stories about his meetings with the big stars, including a special wedding present from The Cure, and his short time as a close friend of Robbie Williams. He talks about the uncompromising rules of the media industry and, for the first time, reveals the truth behind the fateful evening in Hamburg, which brought his career as an MTV VJ to an end. MY MOST WANTED LIFE is Ray Cokes au naturel – open and honest, and just as funny and entertaining as his unforgettable TV shows. Tune in and discover the man behind the grin.