Biography
Croney was born in Carlisle, Cumbria on June 11th, 1962.
A large part of his education was spend at Sedbergh School in Cumbria.
He began his career as as junior reporter with the Lancashire Evening
Post in Preston in 1981.
He then got taken on by Granada Television in 1985 and they've not
been able to shift him since!
Our man is also no stranger to radio, and some would say he has the
perfect face for it.
His show, the Crone Zone became a legendary lunchtime phone-in
programme.
Croney is one of the best-known faces and voices in the North West.
He is known for his versatility and ability to turn his hand to just about any
facet of broadcasting. His credits include producing, directing and presenting a host of half hour documentaries.
Famous for his many TV charity appeals, which have raised a half a million pounds, Croney has been a stalwart on Granada Television’s nightly news programme, Granada Reports for over 20 years.
TV Credits
Hollyoaks
The Sooty Show
The Tribe [C4]
Peter Kay’s Phoenix Nights 1 & 2
It’ll Be Alright on the Night
TV Nightmares
Britain’s Most Haunted Houses.
Stage Credits
Baron Hardup-Cinderella, 1998, Tameside Hippodrome.
Widow Twankey-Aladdin, 2000, Southport Theatre.
Wishee Washee-Aladdin, 2001, Albert Halls, Bolton.
Idle Jack-Dick Whittington 2002,Albert Halls, Bolton.
Sarah the Cook, Cinderella, 2004, Blackburn and Wales.
Dame Trot, Jack and the Beanstalk, 2007, Charter Theatre, Preston.
TV Appeals
Granada Tonight Gladrags Appeal 1996-collected 70,000 items of clothing for charity
shops in the northwest.
Granada Tonight Summer Spectacle Campaign 1997-collected 72,000 pairs of
second-hand spectacles to distribute in Uganda, Africa.
Granada Tonight Cashflow Appeal 1998-collected £20,000 in foreign currency to
build water wells in Ghana, Africa.
Granada Tonight Treasure Trove 2000 Appeal-collected second-hand and unwanted
jewellery to provide vital life-saving equipment for the RNLI. Total raised was £15,000.
London Marathon 2000-raised £11,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust by running
26.2 miles.
Granada Reports Sound as a Pound Appeal 2002 which raise £58,000 for the region’s
four cancer centres.
In 2003 Croney walked 260 miles round the region in 3 weeks collecting a staggering
£148,000 for the North West Air Ambulance and the North Wales Air Ambulance.
In 2006, Croney walked 200 miles round the region raising £82,500 for the Vine Trust which operates two medical boats on remote parts of the Amazon River in Peru.
Royal Television Society’s North West Reporter of the Year 1996 and a special award for broadcasting in 2003.
RNLI’s Fundraiser of the Year 1999
Water Aid-Special Fundraising Award 1999
Documentaries
Where Seagulls Dare
Journey’s End
The Wishing Well
Marathon Man
Journey to the Amazon
Programmes
Granada Tonight.
Granada Reports.
The Last Word.
Remember When.
Paul is frequently called upon to give media training and is a regular speaker at the Lancashire County Council emergency planning media excercises.
He has also worked on several occasions at the University of Central
Lancashire assisting the broadcast journalism students.
More often than not his weekends are spent compering events, balls, and
banquets around the region.
