Gerry Kersey dead: BBC radio legend dies after 50 years on air as colleagues pay tribute

BBC radio presenter Gerry Kersey has died aged 86, his wife has confirmed. The BBC Radio Sheffield presenter was on air for both the BBC and independent radio for 50 years, and was a favourite with listeners.

Kersey died on Friday July 25 after battling a long illness which hasn't been disclosed, with his wife Christine by his side. Paying tribute, Katrina Bunker, Head of BBC Yorkshire, said: "Gerry was a true legend of local broadcasting, starting his career in 1968 as one of the first voices on BBC Radio Sheffield."

She continued: "In later years he was known for request-based and nostalgia shows and he got loads of letters, emails and calls right up to his last show in 2020. Wherever you went around the area you would always meet someone who loved Gerry's show. Off-mic, Gerry was just as much of a gentleman as he was on it, always encouraging , always warm and proud to still be on the radio after 50 years. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him."

BBC Radio Sheffield shared their own statement on social media, penning: "We have some sad news to share. Former BBC Radio Sheffield presenter Gerry Kersey has passed away. Gerry was an enduring voice on BBC Radio Sheffield for many years, and Radio Hallam before that. He was such a gifted presenter and a wonderfully kind and supportive colleague off-air. He was also a talented artist. Our thoughts are with his friends and family."

He began his career for BBC Sheffield in 1968, as he was called in to read stories, which led to him getting his own show in the early 1970s. He then made the switch to Radio Hallam in 1980 as he took over Bill Crozier's request programme, before replacing broadcasting legend Roger Moffat on the weekday mid-morning show a year later.

He retired when the Covid pandemic began in 2020 when BBC local radio stations switched to standardised schedules so they ciuld share output.

At the time, he told The Sheffield Star: "It's not been said to me that it's my last show. As far as I'm aware it's a temporary arrangement. They've got to cut down, inevitably brought about by the coronavirus. They've changed the system just for now."

He spent his last days with his wife Christine, painting pictures, with many of them showing different departments in a steel works.