Broadcaster Liz Kershaw has paid tribute to her brother Andy Kershaw, the former BBC Radio 1 DJ who has died at the age of 66. In a post on X, she described him as her “best friend” and thanked people for their messages of affection.
Andy Kershaw spent almost three decades at the BBC, best known for his Radio 1 show from 1985 to 2000. He began his career in 1984 hosting the rock music show Old Grey Whistle Test and later co-presented the BBC’s television coverage of Live Aid.
Kershaw was known for his eclectic musical taste and for bringing world music to mainstream radio. He also reported from conflict zones, including the 1994 Rwandan genocide and the civil war in Sierra Leone, and produced radio diaries from North Korea.
He received multiple Sony Radio Academy Awards. In January, it was revealed he was undergoing treatment for cancer after tumours were discovered in his spine. He is survived by his two children from his 17-year relationship with Juliette Banner.
