Veteran British television presenter and journalist Dermot Murnaghan has passed away at the age of 68, after battling with stage four prostate cancer a year later.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Dermot’s family confirmed his death via a statement shared on his account, confirming he died at North London, surrounded by loved ones.
The statement read, “It is with great sadness that the family of Dermot Murnaghan announce that he passed away at home in North London earlier this morning (11th July) at the age of 68 following a period of illness with prostate cancer. He died peacefully with his family at his side.”
The family expressed gratitude to everyone who supported Dermot Murnaghan after his diagnosis and his efforts to raise awareness about prostate cancer screening.
“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,” the statement added.
A glimpse into Dermot Murnaghan’s journey
Murnaghan’s journey in journalism spanned more than four decades, becoming one of the UK's most recognizable news presenters.
He worked for the BBC, ITV and Sky News, presenting flagship programmes including BBC News at Six, BBC News at Ten, BBC Breakfast, ITV Evening News, and Sky News.
Moreover, he hosted the highly popular quiz show Eggheads and later fronted documentary series and his podcast, Legends of News.
Throughout his career, he received immense praise, earned widespread respect for his professionalism, including winning a Royal Television Society Award in 1998 for a high-profile political interview.
Campaign for Prostate cancer awareness
Following the diagnosis in 2025, Murnaghan started a Prostate cancer awareness, urging men over the age of 50 and those who are at a significantly higher risk to undergo prostate cancer screening, stressing the need for early detection could save lives.
Shortly after the post went viral, close peers and pals flocked to the comments section to console the grieving family members.
Several tributes have flooded in from colleagues, politicians and broadcasters. Sky News' Beth Rigby praised his calm professionalism, while BBC News described him as a "true gentleman" and a brilliant journalist.
A fan penned, “Dermot was much loved & much respected for his clear talent and service. We will miss him. Sending every condolence to his loved ones. I know you will be comforted by your memories.”
Another fan wrote, “How sad, what a reassuring class act he was, condolences to his family.”
