Infidelity, suicide, death threats, lust, murder - Alan Robson, the country's longest serving late-night phone-in host, has heard it all. From Ronnie Biggs, Gazza, Charlton Heston to the Bishop of Durham - they've all called his pivotal Metro FM radio show which captivates over half the population of the North East every night. And now, the man they call the Flashing Blade tells the story of his rise to fame and fortune. Here is a lonely boy, sexually abused by the vicar he trusted, neglected by his family and forced to fend for himself on the roughest streets of Newcastle, but who grew up to quash the prejudices the establishment had about his working class background and launch a glittering career in radio and television.