Steve Wright, a BBC Radio DJ and broadcaster, died at the age of 69, and his colleagues paid homage to the tragic and startling news.
His family acknowledged his passing on Tuesday, expressing ‘deep grief and heartfelt remorse’.They said: ‘It is with deep sorrow and profound regret that we announce the passing of our beloved Steve Wright.
‘In addition to his son, Tom, and daughter, Lucy, Steve leaves behind his brother, Laurence and his father Richard.
‘Also, much-loved close friends and colleagues, and millions of devoted radio listeners who had the good fortune and great pleasure of allowing Steve into their daily lives as one of the UK’s most enduring and popular radio personalities.
‘As we all grieve, the family requests privacy at this immensely difficult time.’
Friends and colleagues have paid tribute, with Sara Cox choking back tears as she revealed the news on television and Jo Whiley claiming to have seen him only days earlier.
Wright has been presenting programming for BBC Radio 1 and Radio 2 for almost four decades, having joined the station in the 1970s.
Wright, who also fronted Top of the Pops, presented his last radio show on Sunday, with a pre-recorded special Valentine’s Day edition of his Love Songs programme.
He signed off his final show with his signature ‘Ta-ta then.’
‘That’s it for today for Love Songs,’ he ended the show, saying: ‘I’m back for more Love Songs next Sunday.’
Paying tribute, BBC director general Tim Davie has said: ‘All of us at the BBC are heartbroken to hear this terribly sad news. Steve was a truly wonderful broadcaster who has been a huge part of so many of our lives over many decades.
‘He was the ultimate professional – passionate about the craft of radio and deeply in touch with his listeners. This was deservedly recognised in the New Year Honours list with his MBE for services to radio.
‘No-one had more energy to deliver shows that put a smile on audiences’ faces. They loved him deeply. We are thinking of Steve and his family and will miss him terribly.’
Wright began his broadcasting career at Thames Valley Radio in 1976, before joining BBC Radio 1 four years later to deliver weekend shows.
In 1981, he created Steve Wright in the Afternoon, which ran until 1993, and in 1994, he began presenting Steve Wright in the Morning.
Wright left to join Talk Radio in 1994, but returned to the BBC in 1996.
He presented Steve Wright’s Saturday Show and Sunday Love Songs.
In 1999, he resurrected Steve Wright In The Afternoon every weekday, filled his programme with celebrity interviews, talk with co-presenters Janey Lee Grace and Tim Smith, and Bobbie Pryor since 2015, as well as showbiz news, celebrity interviews, and Factoids.
Wright took over as host of Pick of the Pops from Paul Gambaccini in his Saturday noon slot in August.
It was his first new programme since losing his weekday afternoon spot to Scott Mills in 2022.
Steve has also hosted a number of specials for the network over the last two years, including Your Ultimate Kylie Song and, in December, Steve Wright’s Peter Kay Christmas Special, which featured an exclusive interview with the beloved comic.
He produced Steve Wright: The Best of the Guests for BBC Sounds, highlighting the breadth and depth of his guests he’s sat down with during his many years at the BBC, as well as newly recorded interviews to update their tales, as well as Steve Wright’s Summer Nights and Love Songs Extra.
Wright was just named a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2024 New Year’s Honours for his contributions to radio.
Piers Morgan and Eamonn Holmes paid tribute to the presenter.
In a World of Mediocrity …. Steve Wright had talent . He had the voice and the vision and my Sunday mornings will be a lot poorer without him . RIP Steve 🙏😔
— Eamonn Holmes OBE (@EamonnHolmes) February 13, 2024
RIP Steve Wright, 69.
One of Britain’s greatest ever radio broadcasters.
A brilliantly creative, funny, warm, intelligent, hard-working & energetic man. Absolutely loved him, on and off air. So sad to hear this news. Thanks for all the wonderful entertainment, Steve. 😥 pic.twitter.com/N96cps1mY5— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 13, 2024
I am so sad that my dear friend Steve Wright has passed away. He was a great broadcaster and we just loved one another’s company. I was shocked at the news and will miss him terribly.
— Tony Blackburn OBE. (@tonyblackburn) February 13, 2024
Steve Wright was the most brilliant radio broadcaster of them all. So gifted and natural and engaging. It was always a pleasure and an honour to appear on his show. What a huge loss.
— Matt Lucas HQ (@RealMattLucas) February 13, 2024
I’ve lost my hero.
Steve Wright has left us. Heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.
He was the reason I started my career.
Steve, you changed radio and thus broadcasting for us and shall be very, very sadly missed. Go Well.— Richard Hammond (@RichardHammond) February 13, 2024
What a man. What a legend.
The broadcaster’s broadcaster. One of the kindest, loveliest people I’ve had the pleasure to work with. Thanks for the support & music chat over the years. Can’t believe we won’t meet in the bowels of MV for our weekly catch up. Love ya Wrighty💔 pic.twitter.com/Vro3Osj7ff— Jo Whiley (@jowhiley) February 13, 2024
Steve Wright has passed away aged 69.
Steve was a broadcasting legend. He always crafted his show, had energy like no other, was utterly devoted to his listeners & was a joy to be around.
So many of us in a state of shock.
Rest In Love Songs Steve 💔 https://t.co/m3FKmGd1dG— Carol Vorderman (@carolvorders) February 13, 2024
Devastated. Will miss you so much Steve. Thank you for being so wonderful to me throughout the years. A real hero xxx pic.twitter.com/46qzdLY486
— R Y L A N (@Rylan) February 13, 2024
‘RIP Steve Wright, 69. One of Britain’s greatest ever radio broadcasters. A brilliantly creative, funny, warm, intelligent, hard-working & energetic man. Absolutely loved him, on and off air. So sad to hear this news. Thanks for all the wonderful entertainment, Steve,’ Uncensored host Morgan wrote, sharing a picture of them both grinning at the camera in a BBC Radio 2 studio.
Carol Vorderman wrote: ‘Steve Wright has passed away aged 69. Steve was a broadcasting legend. He always crafted his show, had energy like no other, was utterly devoted to his listeners & was a joy to be around. So many of us in a state of shock. Rest In Love Songs Steve.’
Fellow BBC star Tony Blackburn said: ‘I am so sad that my dear friend Steve Wright has passed away. He was a great broadcaster and we just loved one another’s company. I was shocked at the news and will miss him terribly.’
‘In a World of Mediocrity …. Steve Wright had talent . He had the voice and the vision and my Sunday mornings will be a lot poorer without him . RIP Steve,’ Holmes wrote.
Former Bake Off presenter Matt Lucas also shared: ‘Steve Wright was the most brilliant radio broadcaster of them all. So gifted and natural and engaging. It was always a pleasure and an honour to appear on his show. What a huge loss.’
In an emotional post, Richard Hammond said he ‘lost his hero’, writing on X: ‘I’ve lost my hero. Steve Wright has left us. Heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. He was the reason I started my career. Steve, you changed radio and thus broadcasting for us and shall be very, very sadly missed. Go Well.’
Cox’s voice trembled as she announced the news of her friend and colleague’s death on air, saying: ‘Steve was an extraordinary broadcaster. A really, really kind person. He was witty, he was warm, and he was a huge, huge part of the Radio 2 family.’
British DJ Whiley said it was ‘very strange’ to be talking about Wright’s death on her BBC Radio 2 show given she had seen him ‘days ago.’
At the start of her slot, she said: ‘(This is) a very strange show to be doing. It’s extremely hard to know what to say and to be talking about someone that you saw only days ago in this very studio where I am right now – doing a tribute show to that person just does not feel right.
‘It’s very hard to find the words to say and to talk about someone in the past tense when it’s someone that you wish was very much still here. So it’s tough. The Radio 2 family are devastated.
‘There have been many tears… we’ve all worked with Steve Wright for years and years and years, and it’s just very difficult to take in that he’s no longer here.’
She added: ‘I mean, Steve was the soundtrack to our lives wasn’t he? Richard who worked with him years ago, said that Steve once said that he was radio and I think that could not be closer to the truth.
‘He lived for radio and the fact that he died but his show went out just the other day is the way he would have wanted it to be.’
Jeremy Vine recalled Wright as ‘a lovely man’, telling BBC News: ‘It’s come as a complete shock to us. The Radio 2 family are in mourning. The thing about Steve is that he was 69 when he died, but he still sounded like he did when he was 30. He was such an incredible professional… a lovely man.
‘He was so encouraging to the next generation of presenters like me. He was so generous with his time. He was such a huge figure in British radio. That cheerful voice is gone, and there are so many people who will feel his loss.’
Radio presenter Gambaccini called Wright ‘one of the all-time greats’.
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In an Instagram video, he said: ‘He (Wright) was not only the best at what he did, he was basically the only at what he did.
‘There had been zoo radio in the United States with Scott Shannon, but Steve really perfected it. And he is one of the all time greats and will never be replaced, because he can never be replaced.
‘No one else here did what he did, and he did it regularly.’
He added: ‘We will love him forever.’
Wright succeeded Gambaccini on BBC Radio 2’s Pick Of The Pops in October 2023 and was recognised for perfecting the zoo radio format with his show Steve Wright In The Afternoon.
On The One Show, hosts Alex Jones and Jermaine Jenas opened the show by paying respect to Wright, with Jones stating that she was’still in disbelief’ over the news.
She said: ‘As part of the Radio 2 family, I know how shocked and upset everybody will be feeling including those of you who had listened to his shows over the years.’
‘Steve had such a song connection with his listeners, and has been a familiar voice in people’s lives for many, many years, lots of us since we were children.’
They read out comments from fans expressing their grief at the tragic news, with Lorraine Kelly subsequently joining on the show and remembering Wright.
‘It’s just so sad,’ the ITV presenter said. ‘Everybody loved him, he was the ultimate broadcaster, he made it look easy.’
‘A giant of broadcasting,’ she added.
ITV political editor Robert Peston also paid tribute saying: ‘Such terrible news about Steve Wright. Brilliant broadcaster. I was privileged to be a guest on his show a few times and was bowled over both by his extraordinary talent and his great generosity of spirit.’
Wrighty 💔
our radio friend, our inspiration, master of broadcasting, the Godfather, always there for us all with support, advice, love & most importantly laughter
rest well you wonderful magic man. Life won't be the same without you here
love you my friend my hero ❤️ pic.twitter.com/pGIgiPgzxN
— Zoe Ball (@ZoeTheBall) February 13, 2024
Steve Wright was a lovely man and a terrific broadcaster. Never talked to him without feeling better about the world afterwards. Really sad to hear he has died. Radio 2 has lost one of its brightest lights RIP
— ALASTAIR CAMPBELL (@campbellclaret) February 13, 2024
Steve Wright is one of our greatest ever broadcasters.
He made everything sound effortless, and worked so hard to make every show world class. He was a constant inspiration to me on how to do radio that sounded big.
When I first started doing shows at Radio 2, he and I spent… pic.twitter.com/JaDhslh0n7
— Scott Mills (@scott_mills) February 13, 2024
So sad to hear Steve Wright has died. He was an absolute trailblazer in the radio world and respected by so many. The jingles, the music variety and passion. This Sunday’s Love Songs on Radio 2 will not be the same without him. https://t.co/uxZB9YrSSd
— Ricky Boleto (@rickyboleto) February 13, 2024
Unbelievably sad and shocking news. He was an inspiration, a cheer leader and a lovely man. A unique and brilliant radio presenter, so funny, creative and supportive. I will miss you friend 💔#RIP SteveWright pic.twitter.com/7jzybGA5xy
— Michael Ball OBE💙 (@mrmichaelball) February 13, 2024
Totally shocked to hear the news about the great Steve Wright. We were planning lunch to celebrate the award of his richly deserved MBE. An outstanding and innovative broadcaster whose listeners loved him. What a loss to the world of radio.
— Ken Bruce (@RealKenBruce) February 13, 2024
A giant of broadcasting who made the job look effortless. Steve Wright in the afternoon was a big part of my formative years. It was such an honour to appear on his shows and see the master at work. RIP Steve Wright.
— Paddy McGuinness ❤️ (@PaddyMcGuinness) February 13, 2024
Zoe Ball told Wright to ‘rest well you wonderful magic man’ in her tribute, writing on X: ‘Wrighty Our radio friend, our inspiration, master of broadcasting, the Godfather, always there for us all with support, advice, love & most importantly laughter rest well you wonderful magic man. Life won’t be the same without you here love you my friend my hero.’
Scott Mills penned: ‘Steve Wright is one of our greatest ever broadcasters. He made everything sound effortless, and worked so hard to make every show world class. He was a constant inspiration to me on how to do radio that sounded big. When I first started doing shows at Radio 2, he and I spent hours reminiscing about his days at Radio 1, and I would listen to his stories and wisdom in awe. My thoughts are with his family and my colleagues who have worked with him for so many years. Steve, you’re the best to ever do it.’
Former BBC star Ken Bruce said he was ‘totally shocked to hear the news’, writing: ‘We were planning lunch to celebrate the award of his richly deserved MBE. An outstanding and innovative broadcaster whose listeners loved him. What a loss to the world of radio.’
Paddy McGuinness said: ‘A giant of broadcasting who made the job look effortless. Steve Wright in the afternoon was a big part of my formative years. It was such an honour to appear on his shows and see the master at work. RIP Steve Wright.’
Dame Esther Rantzen, who was interviewed by Steve Wright on many occasions, called him a unique broadcaster.
‘He created a kind of club which whether he was interviewing you or whether you were enjoying it as a listener, you looked forward to joining every day,’ she told the PA news agency.
‘It is a very rare quality, and he made it sound easy. It was frequently very funny, and when he left his daily afternoon show he really knocked a hole in the day for many of us who relied on his company. He will be a real loss.’
