Broadcaster and journalist Edward Stourton has died aged 68, the BBC has said.
The BBC Radio 4 presenter was best known for presenting a number of current affairs programmes including Today, World At One and its religious and ethical current affairs series, Sunday.
Veteran newsreader Stourton died on Saturday surrounded by his family, having previously announced he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, the BBC has said.
Jonathan Munro, interim chief executive of BBC News and current affairs, said: “It’s far too soon to lose Ed. I worked as his producer when he was ITN’s diplomatic editor – unflappable then and ever after.
“Many years later, I was listening to his superb analysis of the new Pope for the BBC – another of his many areas of expertise.
“Not many broadcasters can present Today, BBC One’s One O’Clock News, The World At One and Sunday – but he did. He leaves a huge gap.”
Mohit Bakaya, controller of BBC Radio 4, said: “Ed was an absolutely outstanding broadcaster.
“He brought intelligence, authority and an extraordinary hinterland to everything he did.
“When Ed was behind the mic, whether on Sunday or the various news programmes he regularly presented for Radio 4, you felt you understood the world that little bit better.
“Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this sad time.”
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, the broadcaster was one of the founding members of the Channel 4 news team in 1982.
Starting out as a scriptwriter, he went on to cover foreign news at the broadcaster as well as a stint as Washington correspondent, where he reported on the final years of the Reagan presidency.
He then went on to join the BBC in 1988 before returning to ITN two years later as diplomatic editor, reporting from around the world including Baghdad during the Gulf War, Bosnia during the siege of Sarajevo and from Moscow in the final days of the Soviet Union.
He returned to the BBC in 1993 and fronted the One O’Clock News for six years and presented his own Radio 4 phone-in programme, Call Ed Stourton, before joining the Today programme in 1999.
Stourton fronted the flagship current affairs programme for a decade. He later became a regular contributor.
Stourton also worked as BBC Two’s world affairs strand correspondent, presented editions of Panorama as well as a series of Radio 4 programmes including The World At One, The World This Weekend and Analysis.
Along with his four-decade-long career as a broadcaster, he penned a number of books including 2013’s Cruel Crossing and his 2023 memoir Confessions – in which he revealed he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer nearly a decade earlier.
His most recent book, Made In America (2025), explores US history and how it has led to the era of Donald Trump.
Stourton is survived by his wife Fiona and his four children.
