Irish broadcasting legend Gerry Kelly has died aged 77.
The Ballymena-born TV and radio host died at his home this morning, surrounded by his family, the BBC reports.
Kelly was best known for presenting a weekly talk show on UTV, which ran from 1989 to 2005 and featured interviews with some of the biggest stars in entertainment, sport, and politics.
He had several other popular programmes on UTV, including Lifestyle, Kelly’s People, Kelly on Tour, and Kelly on the Road.
Kelly also had a Saturday show on BBC Radio Ulster, which he began in 2009. In 2014, he picked up a Friday afternoon slot, too.
In October 2019, Kelly stepped down from his Friday show and continued with his weekend show until the end of the year.
Most recently, he helmed a new chat show series called Tonight with Gerry Kelly. In collaboration with students at Belfast Metropolitan College, new episodes were uploaded to YouTube, with guests ranging from Irish comedian Dara Ó Briain to the Blue Lights drama cast to Louis Walsh.
Kelly had said at the launch that it was a ‘delight for us all to be able to pass on our many years of broadcasting experience to the next generation of TV, radio and film makers’.
Former colleagues and co-stars of Kelly’s are paying tribute to him following his death, with UTV co-worker Adrian Logan remembering him as ‘larger than life’.
‘Everybody in the place just loved him. He treated everybody fairly and equally, he was such a good fella.’
BBC presenter Ralph McLean praised Kelly as a ‘natural broadcaster’ and a ‘gentleman’, while radio host George Jones called him a ‘great friend’.
Former UTV journalist Ivan Little called Kelly ‘the best interviewer’ and ‘one in a million’.
In a social media tribute, Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly also said she was ‘so sorry’ to hear Kelly had died, writing that he had ‘a face and a voice that so many generations were familiar with’.
She added of the ‘much-loved presenter with a huge character’: ‘He interviewed so many, many hundreds of people across decades including his famous clip with a young Rory McIlroy and the wash machine!
‘Thinking of all his family and friends at this time of mourning, sending my deepest condolences and may God be with them and comfort them at this time of sad loss.’
Indeed, Kelly interviewed golf champ McIlroy, now 37, in 1999 when he was just nine years old, after he won the world under-10s championship. The much-loved segment saw the youngster hitting balls into a washing machine.
And in 2000, Kelly interviewed football icon George Best in his highest-rated episode, attracting 367,000 viewers.
Following his several successful years with UTV, Kelly left the network after his show was axed.
In September 2005, UTV confirmed his chat show was coming to an end, which the late broadcaster claimed was due to them being unhappy with the 9pm slot, which created conflict with the ITV schedule.
Rather than adjust the timings, bosses pulled the plug, and Kelly’s final episode aired on December 16, 2005.
Still, after parting ways with UTV, Kelly insisted there was no bad blood, telling the Belfast Telegraph in 2008: ‘I’m leaving UTV on amicable terms, and I have nothing but the highest regard for them.
‘As far as I’m concerned, they gave me one of the best jobs in the world, and I’m grateful to them for that.’
With regard to his personal life, Kelly revealed in February 2018 that he was diagnosed with cancer two years prior.
He reported that his tumour had been removed successfully and he had completed six sessions of chemotherapy.
Kelly is survived by his wife and their two daughters.