Ed 'Stewpot' Stewart, former BBC disc jockey, dies

[Scubbie]

Ed 'Stewpot' Stewart, former BBC disc jockey, dies - BBC News

Former BBC DJ Ed "Stewpot" Stewart has died at the age of 74 a few days after having a stroke, friends have said.

Rocky Taylor, a friend of 40 years standing, said the former BBC Radio 1 DJ and Crackerjack presenter died in hospital in Bournemouth.

Stewart's former brother-in-law Adriano Henney tweeted to say the DJ had died. "Fun guy-Huge loss," he added.

Director of BBC Music Bob Shennan said Stewart had been a "stalwart" of popular music broadcasting.

Devon-born Stewart's broadcasting career spanned more than 50 years, starting as an announcer, film critic and rugby reporter with Radio Hong Kong.

In an interview with the Express newspaper in 2014, he said he had returned to England five years later and joined pirate radio ship Radio London, based four miles off shore.

He was one of the first presenters on Radio 1 when it launched in 1967, and went on to become a regular Top of the Pops presenter in the 1970s.

He was a regular Radio 2 presenter for 15 years, and during that time broadcast from the summits of Ben Nevis and Snowdon mountains, Vesuvius volcano in Italy, and also broadcast live from the Falkland Islands.

'Broadcasting stalwart'

He was also a longstanding presenter of children's show Junior Choice, which last broadcast on BBC Radio 2 over Christmas.

In his sign off at the end of his final programme, he thanked listeners, saying: "I'll be with you whenever".

Mr Shennan said Stewart's shows had been enjoyed by millions of listeners.

His BBC Radio 2 colleagues were extremely saddened to hear of his death, he said, adding: "We are thinking of Ed's friends and family at this difficult time."

His former colleague and friend of 50 years, BBC DJ David Hamilton, said Stewart "was a little bit like a good wine; he just got better as time went on".

"We used to play football together in the showbiz football team, we even once rode in a speedway race together at Wembley Stadium, so we've done a lot of things together.

"He was a really good guy, Ed, and I really will miss him."

[lettice]

Loved his radio show as a a kid and of course Crackerjack.

Went to the BBC with a few friends (we were 7/8 yrs old) and as well as sitting in the studio and participating on the show, we spent a whole day touring the BBC broadcasting house in 1969.
Appeared on Crackerjack in 1976 with our cubs/scouts group. A friend tried to get a tape of the show, but they were all lost. No way for personal recording in those days.
Later in life, played in quite a few charity golf days with him in Dosrset and Hamspshire, in the 1900s/00s.

Lovely man RIP

[Scubbie]

You may wish to search YouTube. There are quite a few Crackerjack shows that have been uploaded there now.

[dog-man]

I remember him losing his temper once when hosting Crackerjack with the kids in the audience who were very rowdy.
He suddenly snapped and had a right go at them and then suddenly realised what he was doing and you could see the horror in his face when he obviously thought that he shouldn't be doing that.

This was shown on television. I watched it when it was first broadcast.

I am not criticising him, just merely relating a memory of him. His radio shows were excellent.