NORTH LONDON, UK – Veteran British television journalist and presenter Dermot Murnaghan has died at the age of 68, a year after publicly revealing that he had been diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer.
His family announced that the former BBC, ITV and Sky News anchor passed away peacefully at his home in North London on Friday, surrounded by his loved ones.
“It is with great sadness that the family of Dermot Murnaghan announces that he passed away at home in North London earlier this morning,” the family said in a statement shared on his official X account. “He died peacefully with his family at his side.”
Murnaghan enjoyed a distinguished broadcasting career spanning nearly five decades, becoming one of Britain’s most recognisable television news presenters.
Throughout his career, he fronted some of the country’s flagship news programmes, including the BBC News at Six, BBC News at Ten, ITV Evening News and Sky News.
He also served as one of the main presenters of BBC Breakfast between 2002 and 2007 before going on to host the popular BBC quiz show Eggheads for more than a decade.
The veteran journalist disclosed his stage four prostate cancer diagnosis last year, saying at the time that he was responding well to treatment and remained optimistic.
Following his diagnosis, Murnaghan became a prominent advocate for prostate cancer awareness, urging men—particularly those over 50 or in high-risk groups—to undergo regular screening and seek early medical attention.
He repeatedly stressed that early detection could save lives, warning that the disease can sometimes progress rapidly without obvious symptoms.
His family also paid tribute to the overwhelming support he received following his diagnosis, thanking members of the public for their messages of encouragement and backing his efforts to promote prostate cancer screening.
Murnaghan began his journalism career at Channel 4 News before joining ITV, where he presented programmes including The Big Story, News at Ten, Evening News and Nightly News.
He later moved to the BBC in 2002, becoming one of the faces of BBC Breakfast as well as presenting the corporation’s Six O’Clock and Ten O’Clock News bulletins.
In 2007, he joined Sky News, where he remained one of the network’s leading presenters until 2023.
Beyond daily news broadcasting, Murnaghan hosted several documentary series, including Crimes That Shook Britain and Killer Britain, before launching the Legends of News podcast, where he interviewed veteran journalists about some of the world’s biggest news events.
His death marks the end of a broadcasting career that shaped British television journalism for generations while leaving a lasting legacy through his campaign to raise awareness of prostate cancer.