Steve Wright found dead at home after paramedics were called to an 'incident'
BBC Radio legend Steve Wright was found dead at his home on Monday morning.
Emergency services were rushed to the BBC Radio DJ's home in Marylebone, London on Monday, just after 10am. Steve was pronounced dead at the scene and the police have confirmed his "unexpected" death is not being treated as suspicious.
The radio presenter, who hosted shows on BBC Radio 1 and 2 for more than four decades, died at the age of 69, with his family confirming the sad news on Tuesday. Tributes from his former colleagues at BBC Radio 2 and celebrity fans flooded in following the news.
Radio 2's Steve Wright has died at the age of 69 with his BBC colleagues sharing their shock at the news (BBC)"We were called at 10.07am on Monday 12 February to reports of an incident. We sent a number of resources to the scene. Very sadly, a person was pronounced dead at the scene," a London Ambulance Service spokesperson told MailOnline.
In a heartbreaking update, the last picture of the broadcaster has emerged, which shows the BBC Radio 2 messing around and taking "ironic" selfies with a close friend in New York just weeks before his death. Composer Anthony James shared the picture of himself sat next to Steve as he paid tribute to his friend.
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The composer revealed the photo was taken four weeks ago and may be the last photo taken of the BBC Radio DJ before his death was announced by his family on Tuesday. He wrote: "I can't sleep. I'm thinking of my dear friend Steve. We took this picture 4 weeks ago in New York. We were trying to do, as he put it 'ironic selfies. He had such a love of Life and radio. He told me 'AJ the blond hair has to go! I miss him #RIPSteveWright."
Steve's death was confirmed in a statement released by his family, which said: "It is with deep sorrow and profound regret that we announce the passing of our beloved Steve Wright. In addition to his son, Tom, and daughter, Lucy, Steve leaves behind his brother, Laurence and his father Richard.
"Also, much-loved close friends and colleagues, and millions of devoted radio listeners who had the good fortune and great pleasure of allowing Steve into their daily lives as one of the UK's most enduring and popular radio personalities. As we all grieve, the family requests privacy at this immensely difficult time."
Radio 2 host Sara Cox struggled to hold back tears during her programme on Tuesday as she announced the news on air. She told listeners: "It's really hard to know what to say about the news of Steve Wright's passing except we are all absolutely devastated and shocked and blindsided by this news. Steve was an extraordinary broadcaster, a really really kind person. He was witty, he was warm and he was a huge part of the Radio 2 family and I know my fellow DJs will all be absolutely shattered too. And I imagine you're feeling sad too."
"We've all lost a lovely friend who's been a big part of our lives for so many lives so we're going to do Steve proud for the rest of the show and we're going to play the music that he loved so much," she added.
Meanwhile, at the start of her show Tuesday evening, fellow BBC Radio 2 DJ Jo Whiley said: "(This is) a very strange show to be doing. It's extremely hard to know what to say and to be talking about someone that you saw only days ago in this very studio where I am right now - doing a tribute show to that person just does not feel right.
"It's very hard to find the words to say and to talk about someone in the past tense when it's someone that you wish was very much still here. So it's tough. The Radio 2 family are devastated. There have been many tears... we've all worked with Steve Wright for years and years and years, and it's just very difficult to take in that he's no longer here."
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Vanessa Feltz, who first worked with Steve 34 years ago, became great friends with the radio legend following their time as colleagues at Radio 2. In a touching tribute, Vanessa said on TalkTV: "Thank you Steve, for all the hours, all the music and especially the bit I used to like the best. I know he used to drive some people crazy, but when he used to sing along.
"I used to love it when he sang along. It was hilarious. I'm still not sure whether he could actually sing or not but he didn’t seem to care. He would just blithely sing, come crashing in with his own chords and, you know, some people used to write to the BBC to complain. They regularly got complaints about it but I used to absolutely love it."
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Steve joined BBC Radio 1 in 1980 to host a Saturday evening show before moving on to host Steve Wright In The Afternoon a year later until 1993. He then fronted the Radio 1 Breakfast show for a year until 1995, and completed a stint at commercial radio stations before returning to BBC Radio 2 in 1996 to host Steve Wright’s Saturday Show and Sunday Love Songs.
In 1999, he recreated Steve Wright In The Afternoon every weekday on Radio 2, with celebrity interviews and entertaining trivia featured in his Factoids segment, before stepping down in September 2022, with former BBC Radio 1 host Scott Mills taking over the afternoon slot as part of the station’s schedule shake-up.
The legendary broadcaster continued to present Sunday Love Songs on BBC Radio 2 and since October last year, he presented the long-running show Pick Of The Pops, which had previously been fronted by Paul Gambaccini. Steve appeared on air on Sunday for the final time, hosting a pre-recorded special Valentine’s Day edition of his Love Songs programme.
Steve was honoured for his services to radio in the December 2023 New Year Honours list and said he wanted to dedicate it “to all the people in broadcasting who gave comfort and public service during the pandemic”.
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