Editing John Peel (section)

== Personal life ==
=== Marriages ===
At the age of 25, while residing in [[Dallas]] in 1965, Peel married 15-year-old American girl Shirley Anne Milburn.<ref name=Herald20150928>{{cite web|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/arts_ents/13789071.one-last-interviews-john-peel-talks-school-days-radio-1-peter-powell/|title=In one of his last interviews John Peel talks about his school days, Radio 1 and Peter Powell|date=28 September 2015|website=[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]]|access-date=25 August 2021|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20211026012230/https://www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/arts_ents/13789071.one-last-interviews-john-peel-talks-school-days-radio-1-peter-powell/|archive-date=26 October 2021}}</ref> The marriage was never happy, with reports that she was often violent towards him. Although she accompanied Peel back to England in 1967, they were soon separated and the divorce became final in 1973. In 1987, Milburn took her own life.<ref>{{cite book| title = Margrave of the Marshes| last = Peel | first = John |author2=Sheila Ravenscroft | publisher = Bantam Press | location = London | year = 2005 | pages = 178, 183–4, 211–12, 228–9, 233, 266–8, 285 |isbn = 0-593-05252-8}}</ref>

Peel married Sheila Gilhooly on 31 August 1974. The reception was held at [[Regent's Park]], with [[Rod Stewart]] as best man.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/biography/1970s/1974-1979/#:~:text=On%20August%2031st%201974%2C%20John,%27ll%20Never%20Walk%20Alone%27 | title=BBC – Radio 1 – Keeping It Peel – Biography – 1974–1979 }}</ref> In the 1970s, Peel and Gilhooly moved to "Peel Acres", a thatched cottage in [[Great Finborough]]. In later years, Peel broadcast many of his shows from a studio in the house, with Gilhooly and their children often being involved or at least mentioned. Peel's passion for Liverpool FC was reflected in his children's names: William Robert [[Anfield]] Ravenscroft, Alexandra Mary Anfield Ravenscroft, Thomas James [[Kenny Dalglish|Dalglish]] Ravenscroft, and Florence Victoria [[Bill Shankly|Shankly]] Ravenscroft. Thomas, now better known as [[Tom Ravenscroft]], also became a radio DJ.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mahoney |first=Elisabeth |date=2010-10-27 |title=Radio head: Tom Ravenscroft |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2010/oct/27/tom-ravenscroft-radio-head |access-date=2024-03-04 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

=== Health problems ===
At the age of 62, in 2001, Peel was diagnosed with [[insulin-dependent diabetes]] following many years of fatigue.<ref>{{cite news |title=John Peel 'relieved' to be diabetic |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1573676.stm |publisher=BBC News |date=1 October 2001 |access-date=9 February 2013}}</ref>

=== Allegations of sexual misconduct ===
Peel has been accused of sexual misconduct, although he was never charged with any offences. The journalists Sarah Woolley and Fiona Sturges, in ''[[The Independent]]'', cite Peel's first marriage to Milburn in 1965 as an example, as Milburn was aged 15 and Peel 25 when they married; this was legal in Texas at the time.<ref name=Independent20190910>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/john-peel-allegations-metoo-radio-1-jimmy-savile-a9097866.html|title=I was a John Peel defender despite the allegations – until I realised I was whitewashing women's stories|last=Woolley|first=Sarah|date=10 September 2019|website=The Independent|access-date=25 August 2021|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210320205618/https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/john-peel-allegations-metoo-radio-1-jimmy-savile-a9097866.html|archive-date=20 March 2021}}</ref><ref name=Independent20141016>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/fiona-sturges-teary-tributes-john-peel-make-me-feel-queasy-you-d-think-bbc-would-have-learned-its-lesson-now-9797148.html|title=Fiona Struges: 'The teary tributes to John Peel make me feel queasy – you'd think the BBC would have learned its lesson by now|last=Struges|first=Fiona|date=16 October 2014|website=The Independent|access-date=26 October 2021|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20211026012350/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/fiona-sturges-teary-tributes-john-peel-make-me-feel-queasy-you-d-think-bbc-would-have-learned-its-lesson-now-9797148.html|archive-date=26 October 2021}}</ref>

Peel told ''[[The Guardian]]'' in 1975, regarding his relations with young women, "All they wanted me to do was abuse them, sexually, which, of course, I was only too happy to do."<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Burchill |first1=Julie |last2=Burchill |first2=By Julie |date=1999-01-23 |title=Rake's progress |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/1999/jan/23/weekend.julieburchill |access-date=2023-06-14 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref name=Guardian20121012>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/oct/12/jimmy-savile-john-peel|title=John Peel tribute could be ditched by BBC|last=Conlan|first=Tara|date=12 October 2012|website=The Guardian|access-date=25 August 2021|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20161120231439/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/oct/12/jimmy-savile-john-peel|archive-date=20 November 2016}}</ref> He told ''[[The Sunday Correspondent]]'' in 1989, "Girls used to queue up outside. By and large not usually for shagging. Oral sex they were particularly keen on, I remember. [...] One of my, er, regular customers, as it were, turned out to be 13, though she looked older."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lGin17YYxLo/VEqFRbKgngI/AAAAAAAADsg/OKOErB95Yrs/s1600/Peel_SC051189(4).jpg|title=John Peel, ''The Sunday Correspondent'', 5 November 1989|via=andywalmsley.blogspot.com|access-date=25 August 2021|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20211026012218/https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lGin17YYxLo/VEqFRbKgngI/AAAAAAAADsg/OKOErB95Yrs/s1600/Peel_SC051189(4).jpg|archive-date=26 October 2021}}</ref><ref name=FarOut20211025>{{cite web|url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-dark-side-of-john-peel-abuse-claims/|title=A troubling national treasure? Dissecting the dark side of John Peel|last=Kemp|first=Sam|date=25 October 2021|website=[[Far Out Magazine]]|access-date=26 October 2021|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20211026044731/https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-dark-side-of-john-peel-abuse-claims/|archive-date=26 October 2021}}</ref> He jokingly added that he "didn't ask for ID".<ref name=Guardian20121012 /><ref name=FarOut20211025 /> An interview originally published in ''[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]]'' in April 2004 stated that he admitted to sexual contact with "an awful lot" of underage girls. He said that, in the United States in the 1960s, the only available "pool of single, unconnected women was high school".<ref name=Herald20150928 />

In 2012 a woman stated that she had a three-month affair with Peel in 1969, when she was 15 and he was 30.<ref name=Telegraph20121012 /><ref name=Guardian20121012 /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/bbc-erect-john-peel-plaque-hq-9796624.html|title=BBC to erect John Peel plaque at HQ, despite claims DJ got underage girl pregnant|last=Sherwin|first=Adam|date=16 October 2014|website=The Independent|access-date=25 August 2021|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20211026012507/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/bbc-erect-john-peel-plaque-hq-9796624.html|archive-date=26 October 2021}}</ref> She said they had unprotected sex; this was shortly after Peel discussed contracting a [[sexually transmitted disease]].<ref name=Telegraph20121012 /> The relationship resulted in a "traumatic" abortion.<ref name=Independent20190910 /><ref name=Telegraph20121012>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9603959/John-Peel-got-15-year-old-pregnant-after-meeting-at-Black-Sabbath-concert-claims-woman.html|title=John Peel got 15-year-old pregnant after meeting at Black Sabbath concert, claims woman|date=12 October 2012|website=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=25 August 2021|url-access=limited|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210825222021/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9603959/John-Peel-got-15-year-old-pregnant-after-meeting-at-Black-Sabbath-concert-claims-woman.html|archive-date=25 August 2021}}</ref> She stated that, "Looking back, it was terribly wrong and I was perhaps manipulated."<ref name=Telegraph20121012 />

In July 2022 a petition was launched to rename the "John Peel Stage" at the [[Glastonbury Festival]], because of the accusations.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Skinner |first=Tom |date=3 March 2023 |title=Glastonbury renames John Peel Tent ahead of 2023 festival |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/glastonbury-renames-john-peel-stage-ahead-of-2023-festival-3407694 |access-date=18 April 2023 |website=NME}}</ref> In 2023 the stage was renamed "Woodsies". [[Emily Eavis]], co-organiser of the festival, said the name change "was not related to a recent petition".<ref name="grimshaw">{{cite web | url= https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/tv/glastonbury-removes-john-peel-name-26518737 | title= Glastonbury removes John Peel name from stage for 2023 festival | work=Chronicle Live | first1=Emma | last1=Grimshaw | first2=Stephen | last2=Pitts | date=21 March 2023 |access-date=17 April 2023}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=3 March 2023 |title=Glastonbury renames John Peel Stage after nearly two decades |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/john-peel-emily-eavis-texas-bbc-somerset-b2293625.html |access-date=18 April 2023 |website=The Independent}}</ref>