Former BBC DJ and Live Aid presenter Andy Kershaw has died aged 66, his family has told the BBC.
The former Radio 1 DJ died on Thursday at around 7.30pm - four months after he revealed he was undergoing treatment for cancer.
He had been left “unable to walk” due to tumours discovered in his spine.
The broadcaster shared in January that doctors found the tumours last August and that the illness has primarily affected his spine, severely limiting his mobility.
Speaking on his podcast, Kershaw struck a typically wry note about his condition, saying: “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.”
He revealed at the time that he was receiving chemotherapy, radiotherapy and physiotherapy, and admitted he has been unable to record new episodes of his podcast for the past six months.
Kershaw was in a 17-year relationship with Juliette Banner, with whom he shares two children.
The couple moved to the Isle of Man before eventually separating.
His close friend Peter Everett previously hinted that he had been experiencing a series of health struggles in the wake of his diagnosis.
He said: “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.
“Since then he has been undergoing treatment, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, physiotherapy and a lot of scans and painkillers.”
He added: “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.”
Born in Rochdale in 1959, Kershaw began his broadcasting career at Radio Aire in Leeds, where he worked as a promotions manager. He is credited with giving Carol Vorderman her first job in media.
He went on to present the BBC’s flagship rock programme The Old Grey Whistle Test from 1984 and later co-presented the corporation’s TV coverage of Live Aid - a huge, star-studded benefit concert which raised money for the Ethiopian famine, organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure.
He got his own show on BBC Radio 1 in 1985 and presented it for 15 years. His sister, fellow radio presenter Liz Kershaw, also worked at the station during his time there, from 1987 to 1992.
Kershaw’s weekly late-night show was scrapped in 2000 due to a scheduling overhaul.
Over the years, he travelled widely to cover conflicts and cultural stories, contributing regularly to Radio 4 and reporting on the 1994 Rwanda genocide.
Kershaw experienced several well-documented struggles in his personal life.
His marriage to Banner ended in 2008 due to infidelity on his part, which he admitted to. Banner left him and took out a restraining order to keep him away from their two children.
He repeatedly broke the terms of the order and was imprisoned three times.
“Nobody, not even my allies within the serious media, bothered to look at what was really going on,” he told The Independent at the time.
“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.”
