Airport star Jeremy Spake unrecognisable three decades later after 'bullying' claim
Jeremy Spake, who first shot to fame an incredible 29 years ago on the BBC series Airport, is now barely recognisable. The show, similar to ITV's own hit Airline, offered viewers a sneak peek into the daily operation of Heathrow Airport and the planes flying from there. Now aged 55, Jeremy was featured on the programme in 1996 during his tenure as a ground services manager for Russian airline Aeroflot.
Jeremy quickly became a fan favourite during his appearance on the show, which subsequently opened doors to further television opportunities. He went on to present Toughest Jobs in Britain, a documentary series that shadowed workers in some of the UK's most demanding and strenuous jobs, as well as the medical programme City Hospital.
He also penned two books, titled Jeremy's Airport and The Toughest Job in Britain, reports OK!. Jeremy's Airport drew from his experiences working at Heathrow, guiding readers through a typical week on the job, while The Toughest Job in Britain saw him reflect on some of the incredibly challenging jobs he tried his hand at while hosting the eponymous show.
While pursuing his media career, Jeremy was also steadily climbing the corporate ladder in his day job. Fluent in Russian, Jeremy eventually rose to the position of services manager for Aeroflot before being promoted to Deputy Director of Isle of Man Airport.
However, Jeremy decided to step back from his role at the Isle of Man airport, citing 'bullying, harassment and mobbing on an almost industrial scale' on his LinkedIn page. In 2023, it was reported that he was suing the Isle of Man government for personal injuries, claiming his mental health was damaged.
He went on to host a six-part documentary series that was broadcast on the BBC, The Airport: Back In The Skies. The new series saw Jeremy revisiting his origins, reconnecting with some old mates, and taking an in-depth look at how the industry was bouncing back after the coronavirus pandemic.
Filming for The Airport: Back In The Skies commenced in October 2021, following roughly eighteen months of lockdown restrictions, travel bans, and vaccine passports, while the airport was in the process of picking up the pieces and resuming full service.
Fortunately, Jeremy isn't one to shy away from getting involved and assisted in preparing a Boeing 737 for flight and stepped in to aid stranded tourists caught in the midst of the chaos.
The star also has his own audio book, Jeremy's Airport Audio Book, which retells the story of Airport with additional commentary and new stories that never made it into the original BBC TV series. And in another string to Jeremy's bow, he has a YouTube channel, Jezza TV (The Jeremy Spake Channel).
Jeremy remained as popular with fans as ever, but some were taken aback by his drastically different appearance this time around. The star was once recognised for his chestnut hair and matching beard, but is now sporting a clean-cut look. His Instagram account reveals him to have a bald head and he is now clean-shaven. On the site, Jeremy describes himself as: "Author, Broadcaster and Entrepreneur with a passion for travel and helping others. There's more to Jeremy than just being the 'Man from Airport!'"
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