TV presenter and former Sky News anchor Dermot Murnaghan has died aged 68 after a period of illness with prostate cancer, his family has announced.
Tributes across the world of broadcasting and politics have been paid to Murnaghan, best remembered for his 15-year tenure as a lead anchor for Sky News.
During his five-decade journalism career, Murnaghan also hosted Channel 4 News, as well as programmes such as the ITV Evening News and the BBC News at Six and Ten.
He announced his “incurable but it’s not untreatable” prostate cancer diagnosis last year and, following this, he became a vocal advocate and campaigner in raising awareness for the disease.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast last November, the broadcaster urged men in high-risk groups to get themselves checked for prostate cancer, as he admitted he delayed getting tested “because I felt fine”.
Murnaghan was married to fellow journalist Maria Keegan for 37 years and they had four children together. His family announced his death this morning on his X profile.
They wrote: “He died peacefully with his family at his side. The family wish to thank the medical teams who cared for Dermot with such sensitivity and extraordinary compassion throughout his illness.
“Also, for the many, many kind messages of goodwill that he received over the last year since his diagnosis of stage four prostate cancer and his subsequent campaigning to raise awareness for screening programmes for the disease.”
“In accordance with his wishes, the funeral will be a small family ceremony.
“A memorial service for friends and colleagues will follow at St Bride’s Church, Fleet Street (the Journalists’ Church) later this year.
“The family request that anyone wishing to remember him considers supporting Prostate Cancer UK, Prostate Cancer Research and North London Hospice so that others may benefit from the research and care he received.”
Journalist and Sky News political editor Beth Rigby said she was “deeply saddened” by the death of Murnaghan – whom she worked with during coverage of the 2019 general election on Sky.
She wrote on X: “Am deeply saddened to hear Dermot has died. He was peerless in the presenter chair, as sharp as a tack, and hugely charismatic – always with a ready smile and a twinkly eye.
“I loved being on set, or in Downing Street, with Dermot because he was always in absolute command but so cool too. He made handling the most high pressure moments look effortless.”
TV journalist Susanna Reid and Sky’s royal commentator Alastair Bruce also paid tributes to the veteran broadcaster.
Reid, who presents ITV’s Good Morning Britain, shared a selfie of herself with Murnaghan on Instagram, calling it “utterly devastating news” as she remembered the “legendary news journalist and presenter”.
She recalled the “sheer pleasure of presenting with Dermot at BBC Breakfast”, and wrote: “Dermot was a serious journalist who never took himself too seriously. He was intelligent and charming and viewers and guests loved him.”
Radio DJ Liz Kershaw, whose brother Andy Kershaw died of cancer in April, also paid tribute on X and urged her followers to get their prostate checked to “honour his memory”.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey wrote: “Dermot Murnaghan was a broadcasting legend who we have lost far too soon. His tireless advocacy, encouraging more men to get tested for prostate cancer, will no doubt have saved lives.”
