Tributes are being paid to Radio 1 legend Andy Kershaw, who has died aged 66.
It had been revealed in January that the broadcasting icon had been left unable to walk after being diagnosed with cancer. His family confirmed his death in a new statement, sharing that he died at approximately 7.30pm last night (Thursday April 16).
Born in Rochdale in 1959, Kershaw studied at Leeds University and started his broadcasting career at the city’s Radio Aire in the early ‘80s. By 1984 he got his big break by becoming a presenter on BBC’s Old Grey Whistle Test.
The following year he was selected as one of the BBC presenters covering Live Aid, with later work including the 1994 Rwanda genocide, and the final stages of the Sierra Leone civil war in 2001. He also documented radio diaries from North Korea, which The Guardian reports was among the first programmes to be recorded from the nation.
Kershaw joined Radio 1 in 1985, and stayed in the role for 15 years – being viewed by many as the successor to John Peel.
After his weekly late-night Radio 1 show ended in 2000, he went on to report for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 3 and became recognised for his eclectic taste, often showcasing UK talent alongside lesser-known non-western artists.
Sad news. Andy Kershaw: one of those DJs you knew actually did love music, has died. Big fan of my favourite band #HMHB. Go and revive your matey DJ chat with Peely.
— Alex 🇬🇧🏴 (@alex07fcb) April 17, 2026
Such very sad news. Saw him at the Edinburgh Fringe talking about his book, No Off Switch. He was so enthusiastic and could have talked for hours. Loved the book too. He will be missed with all his vast music knowledge. RIP
— Millerbev (@FwdBev) April 17, 2026
Tributes have been paid from fans following news of his death, with one fan praising Kershaw as “one of those DJs you knew actually did love music”, and another recalling how he was “so enthusiastic and could have talked for hours” about music when they met him in Edinburgh.
“RIP, I met him briefly, great energy. Loved his music taste,” another person shared, while someone else hailed him as a broadcaster with “a real passion for music”.
Other messages have celebrated him for leaving “a lasting mark on music broadcasting and journalism”, as “a legend who never sold out”, and as someone who “brought the world to our ears through his passion for music”. Find more tributes below.
RIP, I met him briefly, great energy. Loved his music taste. Prayers and condolences to his family 🙏
— Town Square Therapy (@townsqwisdom) April 17, 2026
He had real passion for music. R.I.P
— Paul Riley (@REEL_COUNTRY) April 17, 2026
Too soon, too young, too sad. RIP kid.
— Blanche Wedderburn (@Frenche2Blanche) April 17, 2026
Andy Kershaw ex Radio 1 DJ has died brilliant broadcaster whom apart from spinning Records made some outstanding pieces for Radio 4 you are finally reunited with John Peel and can talk about Motorbikes all day long.#RIPAndyKershaw
— Alex Dowling (@ViciVidiVeniAD) April 17, 2026
Sad news about Andy Kershaw, whose work as a BBC DJ and Live Aid presenter left a lasting mark on music broadcasting and journalism.
— Bright Harry (@harry_brig) April 17, 2026
RIP Andy Kershaw. A true radio legend who brought the world to our ears through his passion for music. His Live Aid coverage and BBC shows shaped so many of us. Thoughts with his family
❤️
— Rhythm Syndicate (@rhythmsyn) April 17, 2026
Kershaw was off-air and experienced some personal issues in the mid ‘00s, and was jailed for three months in 2008 for breaking a restraining order against his former partner. He later broke the agreement again and was given a suspended six-month sentence.
He returned to BBC in 2011 and hosted Music Planet alongside Lucy Duran, seeking out talented musicians from various isolated locations around the world.
Since then, he released the No Off Switch autobiography and launched his own podcast in 2021 which saw him showcase the eclectic new artists he had been enjoying.
After revealing his cancer diagnosis, Kershaw reassured fans that he was keeping in “good spirits” and joked that he was “determined not to die before Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Ant’ n ‘Dec. That should keep me going for a while.”
