Andy Kershaw: Former BBC Radio 1 DJ who cut his teeth in Yorkshire dead at 66
Broadcaster Andy Kershaw, who presented BBC Radio 1 for almost 15 years, has died at the age of 66, his family have told the BBC.
The former Leeds University student spent almost three decades working for the corporation, and was best known for his Radio 1 show which ran from 1985 to 2000.
It was revealed in January that Kershaw was undergoing cancer treatment after tumours which were severely limiting his mobility were discovered in his spine last August.
Kershaw worked on Radio Aire in Leeds and started his career at the BBC in 1984 as the host of its rock music show Old Grey Whistle Test, and later co-presented the corporation’s television coverage of Live Aid.
The DJ joined Radio 1 as a successor to the late John Peel, and became known for his eclectic taste in music, often featuring non-mainstream sounds on his weekly programme.
Kershaw also travelled across the world to cover conflicts and cultural stories for the BBC, contributing to Radio 4 shows including From Our Own Correspondent, the Today programme and The World Tonight.
His coverage included the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and reporting from Sierra Leone in 2001 during the final stages of its civil war.
Kershaw also documented radio diaries from North Korea which, according to the BBC, were among the first programmes to be recorded inside the country.
The Rochdale-born broadcaster received multiple Sony Radio Academy Awards throughout his career, and was celebrated for bringing world music and specialised genres to mainstream radio.
The veteran DJ joined BBC Radio 3 in 2001 but left the post in 2007, having faced a series of personal problems after his long-term relationship broke down and he was jailed after breaking a restraining order.
Kershaw was in a 17-year relationship with Juliette Banner, and the pair had two children together.
The couple lived on the Isle of Man together before eventually separating.