Writer and broadcaster Rod Liddle, a columnist for the Sun and the Sunday Times, has died after a short illness at the age of 66. He died at The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough on Sunday evening.
Liddle also wrote a weekly column for the Spectator and presented a show on Times Radio. Tributes have been paid across the industry to the provocative journalist, whose career combined sharp commentary with frequent controversy.
What did his family say?
His children, Wilder, Tyler and Emmy, said they were
"very saddened and shocked at the sudden passing of our wonderful father."
They added that he raised them
"much as you might imagine, to be inquisitive, brave and always humorous."
They said that
"Even in hospital in the last few weeks, he consistently held the room and never let the awful situation show."
They also said:
"He has left a legacy that we are all incredibly proud of, he will always be our guide on how to live an extraordinary life."
How did News UK pay tribute?
Rebekah Brooks, chief executive of News UK, said everyone at the company was deeply shocked and saddened to learn of his sudden death.
She described Liddle as
"an inimitable journalistic force"and said he was
"brilliant, provocative and immensely talented, whose sharp wit and uncompromising voice graced our pages and airwaves for decades."
Brooks added that
"he challenged conventional thinking and left an indelible mark on British journalism."
She said he would be greatly missed by colleagues and by readers, listeners and viewers, and offered condolences to his family and loved ones.
Ben Taylor, editor of the Sunday Times, said Liddle had
"a wonderful way with words"and used his talent
"to speak for the readers, highlighting the cant and absurdity that bedevils modern life."
Taylor added that he was
"supremely entertaining"and that many readers turned first to his column each Sunday.
Victoria Newton, editor-in-chief of the Sun, said Liddle was
"a champion of press freedom"and that
"no topic was off-limits"in his writing.
She said his work was
"as funny as it was excoriating"and described him as
"a terrific observer of the frailties of our political class"with
"razor sharp wit"and
"huge intellect."
What was his career background?
Liddle was known for his irreverent style and often attracted both praise and criticism. Before becoming a prominent columnist, he had worked as a speechwriter for the Labour party in the 1980s and later frequently criticised the left in his writing.
He also edited BBC Radio 4's Today programme and left the post in 2002. At the time, reports said his departure followed a disagreement with BBC director general Greg Dyke over a regular column he wrote for the Guardian.
During his time at Today, he hired Andrew Gilligan, whose 2003 report claimed the UK government had
"sexed up"its dossier on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. Liddle left the BBC before Gilligan's report was broadcast.
Liddle was no stranger to controversy. In 2010, he became the first blogger to be censured by the former Press Complaints Commission after incorrectly stating in a Spectator piece that the
"overwhelming majority"of violent crime in London was carried out by young African-Caribbean men.
He also presented a programme about infidelity, arguing that men were genetically pre-programmed to be unfaithful. His former wife had written about his adultery in a series of newspaper features.
How has the wider industry responded?
Tributes were immediately paid by Piers Morgan, former Sunday Times editor Andrew Neil and BBC Today presenter Justin Webb, who described Liddle as brilliant, kind and funny.
David Yelland, a former editor of the Sun, said Liddle
"morphed into a brilliant and gifted writer who I could rarely agree with but always turned to first"and added:
"It was because he was so talented he was able to behave so badly and write so (it has to said) abhorrently on many occasions. And he knew this. It was his essence. RIP Rod."
His death marks the end of a long and often contentious career that made him one of British journalism's most recognisable and debated voices.
Key Facts
- Rod Liddle died after a short illness at The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough on Sunday evening.
- He was 66 and wrote for the Sun, the Sunday Times and the Spectator, and presented a show on Times Radio.
- News UK said he left an indelible mark on British journalism.
- Tributes also came from family members, editors and fellow broadcasters.
