Andy Kershaw dead at 66: Iconic broadcaster and war reporter passes away

17 April 2026 , 20:40

555 0

BBC DJ and Live Aid presenter Andy Kershaw has died at the age of 66, months after he revealed he was battling cancer.

His family confirmed that he died yesterday evening (Thursday), months after it was announced that he was struggling to walk. Kershaw was best known for his 15-year career on BBC Radio 1.

After joining in 1985, he became a familiar voice and was known for his eclectic taste and for helping champion world music. He later went on to work at Radio 3 and made travel documentaries for Channel 4.

Earlier this year, his friend and podcast producer Peter Everett shared on Facebook that Andy had been undergoing treatment including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, physiotherapy, and "a lot of scans and painkillers".

"My friend Andy has been going through a difficult time. Last August he was diagnosed with cancer, mainly affecting his spine and making him unable to walk," he wrote.

"Although we’ve not been able to put together any podcasts in the last six months, we are very grateful to all the patrons and supporters who have stuck with us."

He also shared a message from Kershaw himself, who said: "I am in good spirits, feeling very positive and planning another podcast. I am determined not to die before Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, and Ant and Dec. That should keep me going for a while."

Back in 2008, Kershaw hit the headlines following a split from ex-wife Juliette Banner, which the DJ revealed had ended due to his infidelity. Banner obtained a court order to keep him away from their two children, which he repeatedly broke the terms of and was imprisoned three times.

"Nobody, not even my allies within the serious media, bothered to look at what was really going on. All I wanted to do was see my children, so why was I in jail? Why was I on the run? It was ridiculous, insane."

Following his divorce in 2012, he told a judge he had "lost everything". He explained: "I have lost my kids. I have lost the woman I love. I have lost everything. It is a very difficult time for me. I just want peace and quiet."

He returned to the BBC in 2010 to host its Music Planet programme alongside Lucy Duran, and again in 2020 for a brief stint on Radio 3 presenting The Kershaw Tapes.

Kershaw continued his career as a broadcaster in recent years, having launched his own podcast which featured guests such as Robyn Hitchcock, The Burner Band, and Martin Carthy.

Kershaw started his career at the BBC in 1984 as the host of its rock music show Old Grey Whistle Test, and later co-presented the corporation’s television coverage of Live Aid.

He then joined Radio 1 as a successor to the late John Peel, and became known for his wide-ranging taste in music, often featuring non-mainstream sounds on his weekly programme.

Kershaw also traveled across the world to cover conflicts and cultural stories for the BBC, contributing to Radio 4 shows including From Our Own Correspondent, the Today programme, and The World Tonight. His coverage included the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and reporting from Sierra Leone in 2001 during the final stages of its civil war.

He documented radio diaries from North Korea which, according to the BBC, were among the first programmes to be recorded inside the country.

During his career, the Rochdale-born broadcaster received multiple Sony Radio Academy Awards throughout his career, and was celebrated for bringing world music and specialized genres to mainstream radio.

His sister Liz is also a broadcaster and is one of the longest-serving female national radio DJs in the UK, having had a tenure at the BBC for more than 30 years.