Dermot Murnaghan, the television presenter who anchored news across all four major UK networks and announced the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, has died of prostate cancer at the age of 68.
His family said he died peacefully at his North London home on Saturday morning, with his wife Maria Keegan and children Kitty, Molly, Alice and Jack at his side. In a statement, they thanked the medical teams who cared for him “with such sensitivity and extraordinary compassion” and the many people who sent good wishes since his diagnosis last year.
“Dermot Murnaghan, who announced Diana's death and anchored on all major UK networks, dies of prostate cancer aged 68.”
Murnaghan revealed he had stage four prostate cancer on screen last summer, urging men to get tested. “For years I thought ‘that will do me’,” he said at an event. “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 … that’s how I fell through the gaps and that’s how I had a massive wake-up call.” He added: “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.”
Born in Devon but raised in Northern Ireland, Murnaghan started as a newspaper reporter after graduating from the University of Sussex, before moving to television. He was an early beneficiary of the launch of Channel 4 in 1982, working as a business presenter and then main host on its early morning service. He moved to ITN in 1992, where he became a squad player on lunchtime bulletins and holiday relief on News at Ten. It fell to him to announce the death of Diana after the car crash in Paris in August 1997.
In 2002 he joined the BBC, becoming one of the main presenters of BBC Breakfast and the BBC News at Six and Ten. He also hosted the quiz show Eggheads for more than a decade. He joined Sky News in 2007, remaining one of its leading presenters for 15 years until 2023. His career also included cameos on Pointless Celebrities and The Weakest Link, and announcing fictional headlines in dramas such as Absolute Power and the film Wimbledon.
The Guardian’s Mark Lawson wrote that Murnaghan “dealt in affability, reliability and authority – not ego”. He had higher scores on dependability and affability than on ego and ambition, which made him one of the few to anchor news on all four major UK networks – Channel 4, ITV, the BBC and Sky News – but held him back from the absolute front rank of TV journalistic celebrity.
Murnaghan is survived by his wife of 37 years and their four children. His family’s statement ended: “The family wish to thank the medical teams who cared for Dermot with such sensitivity and extraordinary compassion throughout his illness.”
