Andy Kershaw Dies Aged 66, Family Confirms BBC Radio 1 DJ And Live Aid Presenter

Andy Kershaw, the former BBC Radio 1 DJ and Live Aid presenter, has died aged 66, his family confirmed, with the BBC reporting he died around 19:30 BST on Thursday.

“- Published Former BBC Radio 1 DJ and Live Aid presenter Andy Kershaw has died aged 66, his family has confirmed, saying he died around 19:30 BST on Thursday”

BBC

The BBC said it had been announced in January that the broadcaster had been diagnosed with cancer and was unable to walk, and that he had his own podcast.

BBC

The BBC described Kershaw as a familiar voice on Radio 1 for 15 years from 1985, known for his eclectic taste and for helping champion world music.

The Independent similarly said his family announced the death of the broadcaster, months after sharing his spinal cancer diagnosis, and it reported that he was diagnosed in August 2025 and left unable to walk.

Sky News said his family told the BBC he died last night at around 7.30pm, and it placed the timing in the context of the January revelation that he was undergoing cancer treatment after tumours in his spine limited his mobility.

The Telegraph also said his family confirmed he died on Thursday evening, months after undergoing treatment for cancer, and it quoted friend and podcast producer Peter Everett describing chemotherapy, radiotherapy, physiotherapy, and “a lot of scans and painkillers.”

Across outlets, the same final-message joke appeared: Kershaw said, “I am determined not to die before Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Ant ‘n’ Dec. That should keep me going for a while.”

Kershaw’s death was framed by outlets as the end of a long broadcasting career that began in the early 1980s and became nationally recognizable through BBC Radio 1.

The BBC said he was a familiar voice on Radio 1 for 15 years from 1985, and it described his “eclectic taste” and his role in championing world music.

BollywoodShaadis

The Guardian added that he made his name as a DJ on BBC Radio 1 by bringing world music to a wide audience, and it described him as a journalist reporting for radio on wars and horrors in far-flung places.

The Independent said he co-presented the TV coverage of Live Aid in 1985 and was best known for his 15-year stint on Radio 1, where he championed world music.

The BBC also tied his Radio 1 era to specific programming milestones, saying he first anchored the BBC’s flagship TV rock programme, The Old Grey Whistle Test, in 1984, and that the following year he was one of the BBC’s TV presenters for Live Aid.

It said he joined BBC Radio 1 in the summer of 1985, and that by 2000 his weekly late-night Radio 1 show was axed as part of a scheduling overhaul.

The Guardian provided additional detail on the station’s internal dynamics, saying Kershaw and Peel shared an office in Room 318 at Egton House and that Kershaw downplayed Peel’s reputation as a “rebel” in his 2011 autobiography, No Off Switch.

Multiple outlets described Kershaw’s final months as shaped by cancer that affected his mobility, with the BBC saying the diagnosis was announced in January and that he was unable to walk.

“- Have YOU got a story”

Daily Mail

The Independent reported that he was diagnosed in August 2025 and said he had been left unable to walk, and it described treatment including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, physiotherapy, and “a lot of scans and painkillers” in a Facebook post by his friend and podcast producer Peter Everett.

The Telegraph similarly said that in January it was announced Kershaw was having treatment after tumours were discovered in his spine last August, and it quoted Everett’s description of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, physiotherapy and “a lot of scans and painkillers.”

Sky News said the January update revealed he was undergoing cancer treatment as tumours in his spine were severely limiting his mobility, and it reiterated that his family told the BBC he died around 7.30pm.

Tyla reported that tumours were discovered in his spine last August and that he was undergoing cancer treatment after they severely limited his mobility, and it said he was born in Rochdale and started his career at the BBC in 1984.

The BBC also included a statement from Kershaw after learning of his cancer diagnosis, saying he was in “good spirits” and joking, “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.”

Even as outlets emphasized treatment, they also described his continued public presence through his podcast, with the BBC saying he launched his own podcast and that his distinctive take on life and humour could be seen in his cancer statement.

Alongside the cancer coverage, outlets revisited Kershaw’s personal and legal troubles, describing a restraining order, repeated breaches, and jail time.

The BBC said his career was off air for several years after a series of well-documented personal problems, culminating in him being jailed in 2008 for three months for breaking a restraining order that banned him from seeing his former partner.

Female First

The BBC added that he was later given a suspended six-month sentence for again breaching a restraining order.

The Guardian similarly said that after a court issued a restraining order banning him from contacting her, he turned to drink and was jailed three times for breaching it, saying he wanted to see his children, and it described that on doing so again in 2008 he went on the run and was homeless for a while.

The Independent provided a more specific narrative, saying his 17-year marriage ended following infidelity on his part, which he admitted to, and that his ex-wife, Juliette Banner, left him and obtained a court order to keep him away from their two children.

It said Kershaw repeatedly broke the terms of the order and was imprisoned three times before going on the run, and it included Kershaw’s own quote to The Independent: “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.”

Sky News also described his 17-year relationship with Juliette Banner and said the couple lived on the Isle of Man before separating, and it said he was jailed after breaking a restraining order.

In the wake of Kershaw’s death, outlets highlighted both tributes and the shape of his legacy as a broadcaster who mixed music and reporting.

“Former BBC Radio 1 DJ and Live Aid presenter Andy Kershaw has passed away at the age of 66”

Jang

NationalWorld said tributes had been paid to the star on his Facebook page and quoted a fan writing, “We are Deeply Sorry for all Andy’s family, so sad and way to early rest in peace Andy xxx.”

Jang

It also quoted another fan saying, “Peace be with you Andy. Thoughts & condolences to all the family at this truly upsetting time. Thank you for playing a huge part in the lives of our generation. X”

NationalWorld also quoted journalist Ian Birrell writing, “Very sorry to hear about the death of Andy Kershaw, a brilliant broadcaster and fearless journalist with great taste in music.”

The Guardian’s obituary emphasized his approach to music and journalism, describing him as “the BBC’s ubiquitous musical anthropologist” and noting he added politics to the mix when he travelled to South Africa in 1995.

It also described his work on Radio 3, including co-presenting World Routes with Lucy Duran from 2000 to 2006, and it said he made Radio 3 documentaries Songs of the Hermit Kingdom in North Korea and Iran – Axis of Evil.

Even the tabloid-style coverage in Female First framed his legacy through his humour, quoting the line that broadcasters should give audiences “what they didn’t know they wanted.”