Veteran broadcaster Dermot Murnaghan has died at the age of 68, one year after revealing his stage four prostate cancer diagnosis. His family confirmed he passed away peacefully at his North London home on Saturday morning.
Family statement and final moments
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."
Cancer diagnosis and advocacy
Murnaghan announced his diagnosis last summer, sharing that he was responding positively to treatment while urging men to be aware of the disease and get tested. At the time, he said: "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."
Urging men to get checked, 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."
Broadcasting career spanning five decades
Dermot became a well-known face on television having enjoyed a broadcasting career spanning more than five decades and is one of Britain's most recognisable news presenters. Starting out his television career at Channel 4 News before joining ITV, he fronted programmes including The Big Story, News at Ten and the ITV Evening News. In 2002, he moved to 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 more than a decade. Dermot later joined Sky News in 2007, where he remained one of the channel's leading presenters for 15 years until his departure in 2023.
He had a calm voice that told stories with precision and dignity. Dermot broke huge news events including wars, elections, and the death of the Queen in 2022. He also fronted documentaries including Crimes That Shook Britain and Killer Britain, and most recently hosted the podcast Legends of News, speaking to fellow journalists about the biggest stories of their careers.
Legacy and funeral arrangements
Following his cancer diagnosis, Dermot became a passionate advocate for greater awareness of prostate cancer, warning that the disease can sometimes develop without obvious symptoms and encouraging eligible men to seek testing. The family's statement also included details of Dermot'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 added: "The family request that anyone wishing to remember him considers supporting Prostate Cancer UK, Prostate Cancer Research and North London Hospice so that others may benefit from the research and care he received."
