Former BBC Radio Merseyside star, Graham Whyte has died. His family took to social media to share the heartbreaking news of his passing. Known for his warm presence since joining the broadcaster in 1999, Graham was a cherished local figure. In their touching tribute online, the family wrote: “Our lovely Graham Whyte sadly passed away on Tuesday. We are all heartbroken and in shock, he will now be up there with his Mum, Dad, Rob and Dave. Funeral details will follow in due course.” The outpouring of condolences was immediate, with one person expressing: “Oh no that’s so so sad. I’m so sorry thinking of you all. All my love to you all.”
Graham Whyte was a much loved producer on BBC Radio Merseyside
Another said: “So sorry, thinking of you all and sending love from all my family”, reports the Mirror. More messages read: “So very sorry” and: “That is horribly sad news. He was a genuinely lovely man with a wonderful sense of humour.” One more tribute read: “So sorry to hear of Graham’s sudden passing. Such a lovely bloke and a great journalist.” Before his time at the BBC, Graham had an impressive stint as a journalist at Radio City Liverpool. This sad announcement comes just as fans learned of the passing of another radio legend, BBC Radio 1 DJ Andy Peebles, who died at the age of 76. Andy was renowned for his tenure on BBC Radio 1 from 1978 to 1992, leaving behind a legacy in broadcasting. Mike Read took to Twitter to express his sorrow, writing: “Devastated to hear the news about our chum Andy Peebles. He was about to join us at Heritage. We joined Radio One together. Knew his music and cricket inside out. Raise your bat and enjoy a long rest in the pavilion. We lunched recently with DLT and Adrian Juste. Great innings.” In another touching message, radio executive John Simons shared: “So sad to hear the news about Andy Peebles passing. I’ll miss our long conversations about football and soul music, of which he was far more knowledgeable. There’s going to be a Quiet Storm in heaven tonight. RIP Andy.” Fans have been pouring out their hearts on social media, with tributes for the beloved DJ. One fan posted: “Very sad news indeed.” Another shared their farewell: “So, farewell Andy Peebles. Piccadilly Radio and BBC Radio 1. From those golden days when mainstream radio stations knew who their audience were.” A third fan reminisced: “I’ve just heard the sad passing of Former Radio 1 DJ Andy Peebles. He famously was the last person to interview John Lennon hours before he was shot in New York and was also an Avid Lover of Soul Music! RIP Andy!”. Andy will always be remembered for his iconic interview with Beatles legend John Lennon and Yoko Ono, broadcasted on 6 December 1980 on BBC Radio 1. This historic conversation turned out to be John Lennon’s final radio interview before his tragic death two days later, when Mark David Chapman fatally shot him outside his New York home. Andy kicked off his radio journey in 1973 at BBC Radio Manchester, later founding the independent station Piccadilly Radio in Manchester. He hopped on board Radio 1 as a presenter in 1978 and even hosted 15 editions of Top of the Pops.
