Former Radio 1 DJ and Live Aid presenter Andy Kershaw dies aged 66 after cancer diagnosis
Madison Burgess
Featured Image Credit: Edd Westmacott/Avalon/Getty Images
Former BBC Radio 1 DJ and Live Aid presenter Andy Kershaw has died at the age of 66, his family has confirmed to the BBC.
The DJ spent almost three decades working for the corporation and was best known for his Radio 1 show, which ran from 1985 to 2000.
It was revealed in January that Kershaw was undergoing cancer treatment after tumours, which were severely limiting his mobility, were discovered in his spine last August.
Kershaw, who was born in Rochdale, started his career at the BBC in 1984 as the host of its rock music show Old Grey Whistle Test, and later co-presented the corporation’s television coverage of Live Aid.
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He took over on Radio 1 from the late John Peel and became well known for his eclectic taste in music, often playing non-mainstream sounds on his weekly programme.
Kershaw also travelled across the world to cover conflicts, including the 1994 Rwanda Genocide and civil war in Sierra Leone in 2001, as well as delivering cultural stories, contributing to Radio 4 shows including From Our Own Correspondent, the Today programme, and The World Tonight.
He also documented radio diaries from North Korea, which, according to the BBC, were among the first programmes to be recorded inside the country.
Throughout his impressive career, the broadcaster received multiple Sony Radio Academy Awards and was widely celebrated for bringing world music and specialised genres to mainstream radio.
Kershaw went on to join BBC Radio 3 in 2001 but left the post in 2007, before returning to the corporation in 2010 to host its Music Planet programme alongside Lucy Duran, and again in 2020 for a brief stint on Radio 3 presenting The Kershaw Tapes.
In recent years, he launched his own podcast, The Andy Kershaw Podcast, which featured guests such as Robyn Hitchcock, The Burner Band, and Martin Carthy.
He released a statement revealing his cancer diagnosis last August, saying he was in 'good spirits' and joking: "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."
As per MailOnline, his friend Peter Everett said at the time: "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.
"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."