{"id":404141,"date":"2026-04-17T22:53:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T22:53:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/404141\/"},"modified":"2026-04-17T22:53:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T22:53:10","slug":"liz-kershaw-pays-tribute-to-her-brother-former-bbc-dj-andy-kershaw-who-has-died","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/404141\/","title":{"rendered":"Liz Kershaw pays tribute to her brother, former BBC DJ Andy Kershaw who has died"},"content":{"rendered":"

Broadcaster Liz Kershaw has described her brother Andy Kershaw as her \u201cbest friend\u201d after the former BBC Radio 1 DJ died at the age of 66.<\/p>\n

The DJ spent almost three decades working for the corporation and was best known for his Radio 1 show, which ran from 1985 to 2000.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Thank you for all your messages of affection for Our Andtew and kindness today. I\u2019ve lost my best friend pic.twitter.com\/K7kLqRgSvj<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Liz Kershaw (@LizKershawDJ) April 17, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Writing on X, Liz Kershaw, who is herself one of the longest serving female national radio DJs in the UK, thanked people for getting in touch following his death.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you for all your messages of affection for Our Andtew and kindness today. I\u2019ve lost my best friend,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n

She also posted a photo of her with her arm around her younger brother.<\/p>\n

Kershaw 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\u2019s television coverage of Live Aid.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

His coverage included the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and reporting from Sierra Leone in 2001 during the final stages of its civil war.<\/p>\n

\"AndyRadio DJ Andy Kershaw spent almost three decades at the BBC (Matthew Fearn\/PA)<\/p>\n

Kershaw also documented radio diaries from North Korea which, according to the BBC, were among the first programmes to be recorded inside the country.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Kershaw was in a 17-year relationship with Juliette Banner, and the pair had two children together.<\/p>\n

The couple lived on the Isle of Man together before eventually separating.<\/p>\n

\"TheAndy Kershaw, pictured in 2004, received a number of Sony Radio Academy Awards during his career (Yui Mok\/PA)<\/p>\n

He later returned to the BBC in 2010 to host its Music Planet programme alongside Lucy Duran, and again in 2020 for a brief stint on Radio 3 presenting The Kershaw Tapes.<\/p>\n

Kershaw continued his career as a broadcaster in recent years, having launched his own podcast which featured guests such as Robyn Hitchcock, The Burner Band and Martin Carthy.<\/p>\n

He revealed his cancer diagnosis in a statement earlier this year, and said he was in \u201cgood spirits\u201d, joking he was \u201cdetermined not to die before Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Ant\u2019n\u2019Dec\u201d.<\/p>\n