Former television and radio presenter Gerry Kelly has died at the age of 77. The journalist and broadcaster died at his home on Sunday morning, after a presenting career that spanned four decades.
Kelly was perhaps best known for his weekly talk show on UTV, which ran from 1989 until 2005.
What made Gerry Kelly such a familiar face?
He became one of the best-known presenters on Northern Ireland television through UTV's Kelly show, which he hosted for more than 15 years. The programme featured interviews with a wide range of stars, from country legend Garth Brooks to footballer George Best, and attracted high-profile guests from television, music, politics and sport.
The image below shows Gerry Kelly with country rock musician Garth Brooks in 1998.
He also presented on BBC Radio Ulster, joining the station in April 2009 for a weekly Saturday show. In January 2014, he also began presenting a Friday afternoon programme.
Kelly stepped back from the Friday slot in October 2019 and continued with his Saturday programme until later that year. In 2019, he also presented the BBC NI television documentary Links to the Past: Pioneers of Ulster Golf.
What was his most recent work?
In December 2022, Kelly joined forces with other veteran journalists to work with Belfast Met students and bring Tonight with Gerry Kelly to television for a run of eight episodes. The 45-minute Friday night show was recorded in front of a live audience for NVTV and featured music and interviews with guests from the worlds of music, entertainment and showbiz, including Boyzone's Keith Duffy, Louis Walsh and Brian Kennedy.
At the launch, Kelly said it was 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".
The image below shows Gerry Kelly with Blue Lights actors Nathan Braniff and Sian Brooke in 2025 on Conversations with Gerry Kelly.
How have colleagues and public figures reacted?
Tributes have been paid to Kelly by former colleagues and public figures following his death. Anne Hailes, a former colleague and broadcaster, wrote on social media that he was a
"big man who will leave big memories, RIP".
Adrian Logan, a colleague of Kelly's at UTV, described him as a
"larger-than-life character"and said:
"He was a colossus in UTV,"
He added:
"Everybody in the place just loved him. He treated everybody fairly and equally, he was such a good fella."
Logan said the man many knew from television was the same off screen, adding:
"I will remember Gerry just the way he appeared on the screen because that was him.
"There were no airs or graces with him."
He also said Gerry's family
"will be absolutely heartbroken".
Posting on social media, Deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly said Kelly had
"a face and a voice that so many generations across Northern Ireland were familiar with".
She described him as a
"much-loved presenter with a huge character"and said:
"He interviewed so many, many hundreds of people across decades including his famous clip with a young Rory McIlroy and the wash machine!"
The image below shows Gerry Kelly and Karl McGuckin performing at Gerry Kelly's outside broadcast from The Ulster Hall, Belfast as part of BBC Music Day in Northern Ireland in 2015.
Key Facts
- Gerry Kelly died at his home on Sunday morning aged 77.
- His broadcasting career spanned four decades, including UTV, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC NI television.
- He hosted UTV's Kelly show from 1989 until 2005 and later presented BBC Radio Ulster programmes from 2009.
- In December 2022, he helped bring Tonight with Gerry Kelly to television with Belfast Met students.
- Tributes came from Anne Hailes, Adrian Logan and Deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly.
