Veteran journalist John Stapleton, who died in hospital with Parkinson's disease complicated by pneumonia, used his final interview to pay tribute to his son Nick, describing him as his 'best mate'. The interview, conducted for a 'Relative values' feature in The Sunday Times, was published posthumously.
Stapleton, known for hosting Watchdog with his late wife Lynn Faulds Wood, praised Nick's fearless investigative work on BBC's Scam Interceptors, saying he inherited his mother's courage. 'He's as fearless as she was. She was beaten with a chain once, and someone tried to run her over in a lorry. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree,' Stapleton said.
Reflecting on his Parkinson's diagnosis, Stapleton admitted to difficult conversations with Nick about his care needs. 'Nick is not just my best mate; I'm dependent on him now. I just have to be careful not to be a pain in the arse or a burden,' he said. Nick recalled noticing his father's symptoms early, including a change in gait, and praised his positivity despite the illness.
Tributes poured in from former colleagues, with Susanna Reid calling Stapleton 'a part of breakfast television history' and Penny Smith describing him as 'a brilliant interviewer'. A statement from Nick, read on Morning Live, said: 'He was just a very loving, unbelievably generous man. You won't meet anyone with a bad word to say about him.'
