April 17, (THEWILL) — Former BBC Radio 1 DJ and broadcaster has died at the age of 66. His family confirmed he died on Thursday at around 19:30 BST.
He had been diagnosed with cancer in January and was unable to walk due to tumours affecting his spine.
Kershaw was best known for his long-running show on BBC Radio 1, where he worked from 1985 to 2000. He was known for his broad musical taste and for helping bring world music to a wider UK audience.
He also presented music programmes such as “The Old Grey Whistle Test” and was one of the BBC presenters for the charity concert “Live Aid” in 1985.
After leaving Radio 1, he worked with BBC Radio 4, reporting on music and international events.
This included coverage of the Rwanda genocide in 1994 and the Sierra Leone civil war in 2001.
Kershaw began his broadcasting career in the early 1980s before joining the BBC. He later worked on radio documentaries and podcasts.
In a statement earlier this year, Kershaw said he was in “good spirits” and joked that he was “determined not to die before Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, and Ant ‘n’ Dec.”
His family has not yet announced funeral arrangements.
Evi Ben Ezaga writes on entertainment, culture, and trending stories.
