TalkTV has announced the death of broadcaster James Whale at the age of 74. The presenter, who had stage four kidney cancer, was remembered on air by his colleague and friend Mike Graham.
Graham read an obituary, paying tribute to Whale's pioneering career. 'James began his remarkable career in the early 1970s when he pioneered a new kind of radio in Britain, the late-night shock jock phone-in,' he said.
Whale's television show, The James Whale Radio Show, became a cultural phenomenon on ITV in the late 1980s. He later hosted programmes for ITV, Sky, and the BBC, and appeared on Celebrity Big Brother.
After surviving kidney cancer in 2000, Whale founded Kidney Cancer UK in 2006, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds. He was awarded an MBE in the 2024 New Year Honours for his contributions to broadcasting and charity.
Graham concluded: 'James Whale broke the rules, he shaped the airwaves and did it all on his own terms. For millions, James wasn’t just a broadcaster. He was a companion, a provocateur and a good friend that we’ll all never forget. God bless you, James. We’ll miss you.'
