Steve Wright's pal Nicky Campbell slams gushing tributes to 'complex' radio star

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Steve Wright
Steve Wright's pal Nick Campbell says tributes to BBC star would annoy him (Image: ExpressStar)

Legendary radio presenter Steve Wright would detest the outpour of tributes and love shown towards him since the news of his passing, his pal Nick Campbell has insisted.

The legendary BBC Radio 2 host was found dead at his home on Monday February 12 aged 69. Tributes quickly flooded in for the legendary radio presenter from everyone from his BBC colleagues to close friends and adoring listeners. Steve held his much-loved BBC Radio 2 slot from 1999 until 2022 when it was taken over by Scott Mills.

The sudden death of BBC radio presenter has been declared 'unexpected' but 'not suspicious' by police. A close friend of Steve's then revealed he underwent a heart bypass 15 months before his death. According to Mark Wells, the former controller of ITV Entertainment, the much-loved broadcaster had undergone secret surgery before his passing and was 'more ill than he let on.'

Steve Wright's pal Nicky Campbell slams gushing tributes to 'complex' radio star qhiqqkiqxxiqkzinvSteve Wright's pal Nick Campbell says tributes to BBC star would annoy him (ITV)

Speaking about his late friend on Colin Edmonds' podcast Behind The Scenes, Mr Wells said: "Steve had a heart operation about 15 months ago. He had a bypass operation that had gone well…and I think he was more ill than he was letting on. The recovery had gone pretty well but the events of the last couple of days was probably what in the end came for him."

As the UK continues to mourn the loss of Steve, his close pal Nicky has now insisted that the late radio legend would hate all the attention he has received since passing away. BBC presenter Nicky has been left feeling 'annoyed' by the gushing tributes - and for one reason only.

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Nick, who describes his late friend Steve as a 'great and really likeable person' has said that the seemingly endless tributes are almost too perfect, and they 'dehumanise' Steve.

He said: "What kind of irks me, and I've got this from other people I've known who I felt were fantastic people and who have died, and all of a sudden everyone in a sense dehumanises them and says, 'Oh, they were perfect in every way, they floated across the water', and all that stuff.'

Speaking to Gabby Logan on The Mid.Point podcast, Nick added: "It dehumanises them. I feel like saying, 'No. Steve was complex. He could be brittle and anxious'."

Steve Wright's pal Nicky Campbell slams gushing tributes to 'complex' radio starSteve Wright passed away in February at the age of 69 (BBC)


Several of Steve's fellow radio DJ's including Greg James, Nick Grimshaw, Roman Kemp, and Zoe Ball all rushed to share sweet memories of the legendary DJ in their tributes. Steve's grieving son Tom also paid tribute to the BBC star and said he got to know him in a way he 'never had before' after caring for him before he died.

Tom left his home in Los Angeles to fly to London to be with his dad in his final weeks. In an emotional post Tom said: "God rest your soul Dad, and thank you for all your for all the kind words from all the lives that he touched and people that loved him. It's gonna be an intense few days, so catching up and hearing from old friends and new would mean more than anything else right now too...

"Rough as it may be, I thank the Gods I'm sober, as this would have straight up killed me even a couple of 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. Still, I will cherish every memory we made, and it's not like I don't have a few shows to be working through whenever I miss his voice, though tears me up too much now to consider.

"But it means the world hearing from so many beloved friends of his and mine and I only hope to make him proud; and build on his legacy with kindness and love anyways I can! Love you all and miss you already dad. #ConnectionAsCure."

Susan Knox

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