BBC Northern Ireland broadcaster John Bennett has died aged 82. The veteran broadcaster had a career spanning almost 60 years, presenting music, entertainment, sports, and current affairs programmes for the BBC since 1965. He was most celebrated for his work on The Sunday Club, which he presented for over 44 years. In addition to his broadcasting career, he served many years as a teacher. Bennett was awarded an MBE for services to Television and Radio Broadcasting in January 2023 and was also inducted into the IMRO Radio Awards Hall of Fame. His citation said that he had “left an indelible mark on the broadcasting landscape.”
Bennett’s daughter Siobhan and son Mark described him as “a consummate professional” who enjoyed a “long and celebrated career in broadcasting.” They also expressed that “Northern Ireland has lost a lynchpin in local broadcasting. We, as a family, have lost a loving Father, Father-in-law, and cherished Granda.” No cause of death has been given, and the statement said that he died peacefully surrounded by his family on Friday evening.
On New Year’s Eve in 1974, John Bennett co-launched BBC Radio Ulster alongside Gloria Hunniford. The two remained close friends, and Hunniford called Bennett “A giant in broadcasting” in a tribute she shared for him. She loved him as an individual and admired him as a broadcaster. “He was a truly gifted, gracious, and generous man,” Hunniford said. “His contribution to audiences in Northern Ireland and beyond is immeasurable.”
Tributes poured in from across the industry after news of his death broke. The IMRO Radio Awards Committee, of which Bennett was a member, expressed their sadness at his passing. “Our sympathies to his family and radio friends,” they said in their tribute. Brian Walker, a freelance journalist in Northern Ireland, praised Bennett’s efforts in helping keep spirits up during the darkest days of the Troubles. “We owe him a huge debt,” he tweeted
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