Popular broadcaster Gerry Kelly has died at the age of 77.
The long-standing journalist and presenter was best known for his work on UTV and later as a host on BBC Radio Ulster in a career spanning over four decades.
The winner of the prestigious Sony Gold Award in 1998, he cemented himself as one of the north’s best known and most loved broadcasting figures.
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Tributes were paid to the popular broadcaster on Sunday after news of his death following an illness broke.
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said he was a “huge character” that many generations enjoyed watching.
Ms Little-Pengelly said: “So sorry to hear of the death of Gerry Kelly, a face and a voice that so many generations across Northern Ireland were familiar with. A much loved presenter with a huge character.
“Thinking of all his family and friends at this time of mourning, sending my deepest condolences and may God be with them and comfort them at this time of sad loss.”
As the host of UTV’s Kelly show for over 15 years between 1998 and 2005, he interviewed a wide range of stars.
Gerry Kelly, Belfast Met student Cora McGoldrick, director William Scott and Belfast Met course coordinator Lynda Bryans pictured in 2022
These included a young Rory McIlroy, who famously featured on the programme to demonstrate his golfing skills by chipping a golf ball into a washing machine at just nine years’ old.
The clip of his appearance on the show has since reached international audiences, being watched millions of times online.
Towards the ends of the 2000s, he moved to the BBC, where he fronted his own popular radio show for a decade.
Later, he teamed up with students at Belfast Met to produce a revival of his chat show for community broadcaster NVTV, now That’s TV, alongside a dozen former UTV staffers.
“What a delight for us all to be able to pass on our many years of broadcasting experience to the next generation of TV, Radio and Film makers,” he said when the project was first announced in 2022.
“This is a unique project involving the students from the Met in all aspects of television production.”
At the time, the former UTV chat show said that he had had the tumour successfully removed and went through six chemotherapy sessions to tackle the cancer.
In an online tribute, his former colleague and fellow broadcaster Anne Hailes said he was a “big man who will leave big memories, RIP”.