The legendary ITV News at Ten presenter Sandy Gall has left a substantial financial legacy to his children, following his death earlier this year. The veteran journalist, whose career spanned more than five decades, passed away at his Kent home in July at the age of 97.
A Journalist's Fortune
Details from his will now reveal that Gall left his entire estate to his four children. The estate was valued at £632,749 at the time of his death. After various deductions were applied, the final sum inherited by his son and three daughters stands at a respectable £331,303. One of his daughters, Carlotta, followed her father into journalism, becoming a renowned foreign correspondent herself.
A Life of Frontline Reporting
Sandy Gall's journalism career was nothing short of extraordinary. After starting at the Aberdeen Press and Journal and Reuters, he moved to ITN in 1963. His assignments were often historic; one of his first was covering the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, in 1963.
He became a familiar face to British audiences as a presenter on the country's most-watched programme, News at Ten, from 1970 to 1991, where he was regularly paired with Reginald Bosanquet. His fearless reporting from global hotspots defined his career. He was one of the few journalists who remained in Vietnam after the fall of Saigon, having witnessed the first American marines land at Da Nang.
A Legacy Beyond Broadcasting
Even after retiring from ITN in 1992, Gall's work continued. Inspired by his time reporting in the Middle East, including witnessing the Gulf War in 1991, he established Sandy Gall's Afghanistan Appeal. The charity, which treated people from the war-ravaged nation, was run by his wife, Eleanor, and two of his daughters.
Born in Penang, Malaya (now Malaysia) in 1927, Gall's Scottish father managed a rubber plantation. The family returned to Britain when he was four. His distinguished career was formally recognised with a CBE in 1987 and a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 2011.
Following his death, his family paid tribute, stating: 'His was a great life, generously and courageously lived.' His daughter Carlotta added that she was 'very sad but proud' of her father's immense legacy, both personal and professional.
