Steve Wright 'completely shut down' after ex died as son shares sad update

18 February 2024 , 10:56

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Steve Wright 'completely shut down' after ex died as son shares sad update

Radio legend Steve Wright was left heartbroken in his final years following the death of his ex-wife Cyndi Robinson.

The BBC Radio 2 DJ proposed to Cyndi live on air soon after meeting her and they married in 1985 and had two children, Tom and Lucy. The radio personality was left devastated when she walked out of their Henley-on Thames home in 1999, divorcing shortly afterwards.

Steve passed away on Monday, aged 69, with friends saying he struggled to come to terms with Cyndi's death in 2020 at her home in Midhurst, West Sussex during the Covid pandemic.

Friends say the death took a huge toll on Steve who became 'extremely withdrawn' and 'stopped going out'. Neighbours told The Sun "He was a different person. even before his radio show ended,'"they said.

Steve Wright marries Cyndi Robinson in 1985 (BBC)

Steve and Cyndi's son Tom, a recovering addict, spoke out about his dad's death for the first time on Friday night. He revealed that he had flown from his home in Los Angeles to London to 'care' for his dad in his final weeks.

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He said: "Thank the Gods I’m sober, as this would have straight up killed me even a couple years ago after losing mum over the pandemic in the same way without getting to see him before he passed after flying back to take care of the old blighter.”

Steve's brother Laurence said he believed his brother's 'unhealthy' lifestyle was a factor in his 'unexpected' death. Lawrence also shot down rumours that Steve died of a broken heart following his axing from his weekday Radio 2 slot. Steve was replaced by Scott Mills in 2022 but continued his Sunday Morning Love Songs show.

Laurence said Steve was 'glad of a rest'. "He was aware that he could have looked after himself better, in his lifestyle choices. Obviously we all wish he had.It's like anyone who doesn't look after themselves over an extended period. The normal stuff - diet, nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress - he was a very stoic kind of guy as well so if he had something wrong with him and he had to go to have some treatment or go to the doctors, he wouldn't talk about it."

Steve Wright passed away aged 69

Celebrity publicist Gary Farrow said that he believed Steve struggled with the axing of his afternoon show on Radio 2. Gary said: “Steve lived for that show, he absolutely loved it - and the listeners loved him. My view is that he died from a broken heart. Everybody loved him on and off air, although he was actually painfully shy, and never wanted to attend these big dos that bosses wanted to wheel him out at."

Gary continued: “But he just wanted someone at the BBC to put an arm around him every now and then, and say ‘You’re doing a great job, Steve. We all love you.’ But I don’t think anybody ever did - that’s all he wanted."

James Brinsford