Jeremy Vine pays tribute to Steve Wright

Jeremy Vine paid an emotional tribute to legendary DJ’s Steve Wright on Wednesday morning following his demise on the age of 69. 

Vine was near tears as he opened his Channel 5 present with a prolonged eulogy for his buddy, whose demise was confirmed on Tuesday afternoon. 

The presenter, 58, credited Wright for saving BBC Radio 2 after becoming a member of the station in 1996, and admitted his personal each day information present wouldn’t exist with out the influential DJ’s contribution to broadcasting. 

‘It is an odd one, I have to say, approaching and doing a present that owes quite a bit to Steve Wright. But he isn’t with us anymore,’ mentioned Vine. ‘If you liked Steve I’m guessing it is as a result of, like me, you grew up with him.’

The presenter recalled his first assembly with Wright within the early eighties and recalled the DJ as being ‘humble. gracious, type and shy’ all through his illustrious profession. 

‘I used to be 16 and on a household vacation in Newquay, Cornwall, when he got here down with the Radio 1 roadshow in 1981,’ he mentioned.

‘I acquired there early, acquired to the entrance of the gang and I used to be chosen to play the quiz Bits & Pieces. 

‘So he quizzed me on air, and I used to be garbage – six out of ten. Years later I met him at Radio 2, we turned mates, I did the present earlier than his for 20-years, and I noticed him on daily basis.’

He added: ‘In all of the conversations I had, I by no means talked about to him that first assembly on the beachfront in Cornwall as a result of I believed he’d be uncomfortable if he knew what a fan I used to be. 

‘I at all times thought he was anyone who needed true friendship, not admiration. So I by no means talked about Mr. Angry, Gervais the Hairdresser, Sid the Manager, Happening Boy, the Posse, the Fish Filleter … they had been his Radio One previous. 

‘Those had been the characters, that was the insane present that moved Radio One past Smashie and Nicey.’ 

Vine additionally credited Wright and his pure broadcasting expertise for saving Radio 2 within the mind-nineties.  

‘When he got here to Radio Two within the nineties, it was within the doldrums with MPs saying it must be shut down and he completely rebooted the station,’ he mentioned. 

‘But that is probably not what I needed to say. I simply needed to inform you that how a lot you like Steve on the radio, you’ll have liked him extra in actual life.’ 

Reflecting on Wright’s reclusive character, he added: He was humble, gracious, type – actually fairly shy, not at all times that sociable in crowds, however massively considerate whenever you turned his buddy. 

‘One of the best, loudest voices in British radio was one of the light, quietest souls in actual life. God bless you, Steve. You modified so lots of our lives for the higher.’ 

Further tributes have poured in from the world of radio for veteran BBC broadcaster Wright, who died on the age of 69 on Tuesday. 

The legendary DJ joined the BBC within the Seventies, happening to host reveals on BBC Radio 1 and a couple of for greater than 4 many years which attracted tens of millions of listeners.

The shock announcement left colleagues ‘heartbroken’ and prompted an outpouring of emotional tributes from stars corresponding to Ken Bruce, Simon Mayo, Zoe Ball and Vernon Kay.

Speaking on Greatest Hits radio, a choked up Mayo mentioned: ‘He was one of many true originals of music radio, I believe. I liked his reveals. I do know a number of you probably did as effectively. It was a thrill to be on the identical radio stations as him. He’ll be a lot missed.’

Presenter Sara Cox mentioned: ‘It’s actually arduous to know what to say concerning the information of Steve Wright’s passing, besides we’re all shocked and devastated and blindsided by this information.

‘Steve was a unprecedented broadcaster, a very type individual, he was witty, he was heat, and he was an enormous, large a part of the Radio 2 household, and I do know my fellow DJs will all be completely shattered too.’

Zoe Ball has informed Wright to ‘relaxation effectively you fantastic magic man’ following his demise on the age of 69.

In a submit to X, the broadcaster wrote: ‘Wrighty. Our radio buddy, our inspiration, grasp of broadcasting, the Godfather, at all times there for us all with help, recommendation, love & most significantly laughter relaxation effectively you fantastic magic man.

‘Life will not be the identical with out you right here, love you my buddy, my hero.’ 

Dame Esther Rantzen, who was interviewed by Wright on many events, mentioned he was a novel broadcaster.

‘He created a type of membership which whether or not he was interviewing you or whether or not you had been having fun with it as a listener, you appeared ahead to becoming a member of on daily basis,’ she mentioned.

‘It is a really uncommon high quality, and he made it sound simple. It was continuously very humorous, and when he left his each day afternoon present he actually knocked a gap within the day for many people who relied on his firm. He will probably be an actual loss.’

Matt Lucas has referred to Wright as ‘probably the most sensible radio broadcaster of all of them’ following the latter’s demise on the age of 69.

In a submit to X, the comic wrote: ‘Steve Wright was probably the most sensible radio broadcaster of all of them.

‘So gifted and pure and fascinating. It was at all times a pleasure and an honour to seem on his present. What an enormous loss.’

Jo Whiley has thanked Wright, ‘the broadcaster’s broadcaster’, for all his help through the years.

In a submit to X, the radio DJ and tv presenter wrote: ‘What a person. What a legend. The broadcaster’s broadcaster.

‘One of the kindest, loveliest individuals I’ve had the pleasure to work with. Thanks for the help & music chat through the years.

‘Can’t imagine we can’t meet within the bowels of MV for our weekly catch up. Love ya Wrighty.’

Wright was additionally a long-standing presenter of Top Of The Pops on BBC One and introduced the favored Sunday Love Songs weekend mid-morning present on Radio 2. 

His final present was a pre-recorded Valentine’s Day version of the programme two days in the past. Wright informed listeners in his remaining sign-off: ‘I’ll be again for extra love songs subsequent Sunday, ta-da then.’

An announcement shared by Wright’s household mentioned: ‘It is with deep sorrow and profound remorse that we announce the passing of our beloved Steve Wright. 

‘In addition to his son, Tom, and daughter, Lucy, Steve leaves behind his brother, Laurence and his father Richard. Also, much-loved shut mates and colleagues, and tens of millions of devoted radio listeners who had the nice fortune and nice pleasure of permitting Steve into their each day lives as one of many UK’s most enduring and in style radio personalities.

‘As all of us grieve, the household requests privateness at this immensely tough time.’

Wright’s present on Radio 2 final Sunday was pre-recorded, and it’s understood that there’s one other programme ‘within the can’ although it’s thought that it will not be aired following his demise.

Meanwhile, one BBC star informed how the demise was seen as ‘very, very sudden’ by his colleagues as he was in contact with bosses on the station inside simply the previous couple of days.

They informed the Mail: ‘Steve had been speaking to Radio 2 bosses simply two or three days they usually had no thought he was going to die, we had been conscious he was struggling along with his well being a bit however nothing that appeared this critical.

‘It has come as an enormous shock. Nobody can imagine it. He was participating along with his colleagues so not too long ago. It would not appear in any respect actual.’

Wright was born in 1954 in Greenwich, south London, and began his BBC profession as a clerk.

He briefly left the broadcaster in 1976 for Thames Valley Radio however returned 4 years later to current weekend programmes. 

The broadcaster joined BBC Radio 1 in 1980 to host a Saturday night present earlier than transferring on to host Steve Wright In The Afternoon a yr later till 1993.

Wright then fronted the Radio 1 Breakfast present for a yr till 1995, and accomplished a stint at industrial radio stations earlier than returning to BBC Radio 2 in 1996 to host Steve Wright’s Saturday Show and Sunday Love Songs.

In 1999, he recreated Steve Wright In The Afternoon each weekday on Radio 2, with movie star interviews and entertaining trivia featured in his Factoids phase, earlier than stepping down in September 2022.

Former BBC Radio 1 host Scott Mills took over the afternoon slot as a part of the station’s schedule shake-up.

Wright continued to current Sunday Love Songs on BBC Radio 2 and since October final yr, he introduced the long-running present Pick Of The Pops, which had beforehand been fronted by Paul Gambaccini.

Head of BBC Radio 2, Helen Thomas, mentioned Wright ‘understood the connection and companionship that radio engenders higher than anybody, and all of us liked him for it. 

‘He was a consummate skilled whose consideration to element was at all times second to none, and he made his visitors snort, he was honest, and he needed to showcase them and their work in the very best mild, bringing sensible tales to our listeners’, she added.

She recalled feeling ‘pure amazement’ watching him 20 years in the past when he turned the primary presenter she produced.

‘For all of us at Radio 2, he was a beautiful colleague and a buddy along with his glorious sense of humour, generosity along with his time, and limitless smart phrases,’ she added.

‘We had been fortunate to have him with us for all these many years, and we’ll miss his expertise and his friendship terribly.’

Wright was honoured for his providers to radio within the December 2023 New Year Honours listing and mentioned he needed to dedicate it ‘to all of the individuals in broadcasting who gave consolation and public service in the course of the pandemic’.

BBC Director General Tim Davie mentioned right now: ‘All of us on the BBC are heartbroken to listen to this terribly unhappy information. Steve was a really fantastic broadcaster who has been an enormous a part of so lots of our lives over many many years. 

‘He was the last word skilled – passionate concerning the craft of radio and deeply in contact along with his listeners. This was deservedly recognised within the New Year Honours listing along with his MBE for providers to radio. 

‘No-one had extra vitality to ship reveals that put a smile on audiences’ faces. They liked him deeply. We are pondering of Steve and his household and can miss him terribly.’

Lorna Clarke, Director of BBC Music, mentioned: ‘Steve was a unprecedented broadcaster – somebody audiences liked, and many people appeared as much as. He liked radio, and he liked the BBC, however most of all… he liked his viewers. 

‘From Radio 1 to Radio 2, he was with us for greater than 4 many years, and introduced a lot pleasure to our airwaves, no matter he was as much as. 

‘We had been privileged to have him with us for all these years.’