Veteran broadcaster Dermot Murnaghan, known for his work with the BBC, Sky News and ITV, has died at the age of 68. His family confirmed he passed away peacefully at his North London home on Saturday morning, a year after he publicly revealed his diagnosis of stage four prostate cancer.
Family Statement and Tributes
In a statement released by his family, they said: "He died peacefully with his family at his side." His wife of 37 years, Maria Keegan, and their children Kitty, Molly, Alice and Jack added: "The family wish to thank the medical teams who cared for Dermot with such sensitivity and extraordinary compassion throughout his illness; also, for the many, many kind messages of goodwill that he received over the last year since his diagnosis of Stage IV prostate cancer and his subsequent campaigning to raise awareness for screening programmes for the disease."
Career Highlights
Murnaghan's broadcasting career spanned more than five decades, making him one of Britain's most recognisable news presenters. He began his television career at Channel 4 News before moving to ITV, where he fronted programmes including The Big Story, News at Ten and the ITV Evening News.
In 2002, he joined the BBC, becoming one of the main presenters of BBC Breakfast as well as the BBC News at Six and BBC News at Ten. He also hosted the popular quiz show Eggheads for over a decade.
Murnaghan moved to Sky News in 2007, remaining one of the channel's leading presenters for 15 years until his departure in 2023. During his tenure, he covered major global events including wars, elections and the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.
Cancer Advocacy
After his diagnosis last summer, Murnaghan became a passionate advocate for prostate cancer awareness. He urged men to get tested, saying: "For years I thought 'that will do me'. I'm getting tested basically once a year or every couple of years. It never occurred to me that they weren't testing for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing and I never went to my GP because I was getting other tests privately through the production company. So that's how I fell through the gaps and that's how I had a massive wake-up call and want to share the message."
He added: "Needless to say my message to all men over 50, in high risk groups, or displaying symptoms, is get yourself tested and campaign for routine prostate screening by the NHS. Early detection is crucial."
Funeral and Memorial
The family's statement also included details of Murnaghan's funeral, which will be a small family ceremony. A memorial service for friends and colleagues will take place at St Bride's Church, Fleet Street, later this year. They requested that anyone wishing to remember him consider supporting Prostate Cancer UK, Prostate Cancer Research and North London Hospice.
