Mr Motivator: from homeless to household name

Jamaican-born Derrick Evans also known as Mr Motivator is a fitness instructor who became famous in the 1990s for his TV appearances in the UK. But his journey to fame wasn’t easy. He was given up for adoption at just three months old, and when he moved to the UK in 1958 he faced bullying and racism. He only stumbled into fitness in his mid 20s, when he was struggling to find a job as a single dad in London – and he admits he’s learnt everything he knows from a book on aerobics. When the coronavirus pandemic hit, he made an extraordinary comeback to help people work out while in lockdown. Presenter: Emily Webb. Producer: Harry Graham. Picture: Derrick Evans a.k.a. Mr Motivator. Credit: BBC.

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Lives Less Ordinary is a podcast from the BBC World Service that brings you the most incredible true stories from around the world. Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected. Each episode a guest shares their most dramatic, moving, personal story. Listen for unbelievable twists, mysteries uncovered, and inspiring journeys - spanning the entire human experience. Our guests come from every corner of the globe: from Burundi to Beverly Hills, New Zealand to North Korea, Rajasthan to Rio. And their stories can be about anything: tales of survival, humour, resilience and intrigue. From the mind-blowing account of the Japanese man trapped in his own reality TV show, to the Swedish women rescued from lions by a tin of spam. It’s life’s wild side, in stereo. Lives Less Ordinary is brought to you by the team behind Outlook, the home of true life storytelling on BBC World Service radio for nearly 60 years. Got a story to tell? Send an email to liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or message us via WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784 You can read our privacy notice here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5YD3hBqmw26B8WMHt6GkQxG/lives-less-ordinary-privacy-notice