BBC Radio 2 legend Colin Berry dies aged 79
He worked for the BBC for over 30 years.
BBC Radio 2 DJ Colin Berry, who worked for the national broadcaster for over 30 years, has died aged 79.
The news was announced on Radio 2 today, while sharing: ‘He joined the station in 1973 and covered for presenters including Sir Terry Wogan and Sir Jimmy Young. Colin Berry also had a 25-year stint as the UK’s Eurovision jury spokesperson including in 1997.’
His former BBC Radio 2 colleague, newsreader Clare Ruacres, also paid tribute, writing on X: ‘Sad to say a former colleague and fellow @bbcradio2 newsreader Colin Berry has died aged 79. He also spent 25 years as the UK’s Eurovision jury spokesman.’
Another BBC colleague, Andre Peach, shared: ‘I am very sad to hear news of Colin Berry’s passing. I have strong memories of hearing Colin on @bbcradio2 as a child and it was a thrill to get to work with him there from 1998-2012.’
In the early stages of his career, Berry worked in administrative roles at Granada Television and Westward Television before going on to begin his radio career reading the news on Radio Caroline in 1965.
He also worked for Yorkshire Television, at BBC Radio Medway as a Saturday afternoon presenter and spent the summer of 1971 as an announcer for HTV.
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Previous Page Next Page Berry joined BBC Radio 2 in 1973 (Picture: Tim Roney/ Radio Times/ Getty Images)After a brief stint writing and presenting programme trails for BBC Radio 1, Berry joined BBC Radio 2 as an announcer and presenter in 1973.
He stayed on there for 33 years, presenting shows including Night Ride, The Late Show, Music Through Midnight, European Pop Jury, Band Parade, The Early Show, You & The Night & The Music, among others.
Between 1977 and 2002, except for 1980 and 1998, he was also the UK spokesman for the Eurovision Song Contest, reading out the country’s voting results.
Berry was also lined up as the stand-by television commentator, in case the line of Terry Wogan was lost.
Although this never happened, there was a near-miss on one occasion when the line went out just 30 seconds before a show but was retrieved in time.
He worked at the national broadcaster for 33 years (Picture: BBC)Throughout his career Berry also appeared on The Generation Game, Blankety Blank and Bargain Hunt.
In 2006 he went freelance but continued to read the news on Radio 2 until 2012.
In the subsequent years he also presented late night Saturdays on BBC Three Counties Radio from 2004, and in 2009 and 2010 presented a weekly show for BBC Local Radio across the Eastern Counties – The Saturday Club: 6 to 9pm, during which he played music from the 1960s and 1970s.
Until 2019, he also had an occasional series for BBC Three Counties Radio – A Little Light Music.
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