This morning we set aside our differences with the BBC to pay tribute to one of its greatest stars, Sir Terry Wogan, who has died at the age of 77.
The much-loved television and radio personality, who had just celebrated 50 years in the business, passed away in the early hours after what his family described as "a short but brave battle with cancer".
Paying tribute to Sir Terry, the BBC Director General, Tony Hall, said: "Terry truly was a national treasure.
"Today we've lost a wonderful friend. He was a lovely, lovely man and our thoughts are with his wife and family.
"Wake up to Wogan was for millions of Radio 2 listeners the very best way to start the day. For decades he's been such a huge part of the BBC on television and radio and leaves so many wonderful memories.
"At the centre of Children In Need since its beginning he raised hundreds of millions of pounds and changed so many lives for the better. He leaves a remarkable legacy."
Many people will also have fond memories of Sir Terry's gentle ribbing of the many atrocious Eurovision Song Contest entries over the years.
In 1978 Sir Terry reached number 21 in the UK Singles Chart with his rendition of traditional West Country song The Floral Dance.
Sir Terry is survived by Helen (who he often jokingly referred to as "the current Mrs Wogan"), his wife of 60 years, and three of the couple's children. His firstborn daughter, Vanessa, died tragically only a few weeks after her birth in 1966.
Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.
3 comments:
And yet he apparently knew of what the vile Saville was doing........
It is on those (de) merits that I judge someone.
Just to add, this extract from an interview Wogan gave a while ago regarding Savile says it all.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/terry-wogan-talk-about-jimmy-savile-swept-bbc-8861442.html
"Sir Terry, 75, made his opinion clear in an interview with The Times, published yesterday. He told the paper: "I was sitting at a table having lunch and Savile was sitting one up from me, and also up from me was Jean Rook [Express columnist]. And Jimmy Savile got up to go to the loo, and she looked across at me and said: 'When are they going to expose him?' I said: 'That's your job.' And nobody ever did."
I will reiterate the words:
"I said: 'That's your job.' And nobody ever did."
He knew damn well what that bastard was, yet as far as he was concerned it wasn't his problem. Pass the buck as I'm all right Jack.
I remember hearing that in a YouTube video a while ago. You'd think that anyone working for a company/corporation that KNOWS something is going on and is essentially being paid by the general public, would be REQUIRED to speak up about it, regardless of whether it was their place to do so or not. If all this stuff happened at a school and someone was aware of what was going on, there would be hell to pay once the news got out that they knew about it but did sweet F A. The same can be said about stealing from a company you work at, if you witness the theft of comapny property but say nothing about it, then you are just as guilty as the one actually stealing. It doesn't matter that it is the BBC that all this nonsense was happening at, HE SHOULD HAVE SPOKEN UP ABOUT IT INSTEAD OF SMILING AT THE CAMERAS AT THE "CHILDREN IN NEED" SHOWS!!
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