Gerry Kelly, the celebrated Northern Ireland broadcaster originally from Ballymena, has died at the age of 77.
He passed away at his home on Sunday morning.
Mr Kelly’s career in journalism and presenting stretched across four decades, making him one of the most recognisable figures in Northern Irish media.
He was widely regarded as a “much-loved” personality in the industry.
Gerry Kelly passed away at his home on Sunday morning at the age of 77
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TONIGHT WITH GERRY KELLY
He became a household name through his long-running UTV chat show, which ran from 1989 to 2005.
Following that, he moved to BBC Radio Ulster in 2009, where he hosted weekly programmes.
His contribution to broadcasting in Northern Ireland earned him tributes from political leaders and fellow journalists alike, with many describing him as a warm and generous presence both on and off screen.
The Kelly show on UTV became appointment viewing for audiences across Northern Ireland over its 15-year run.
Mr Kelly became one of Northern Ireland’s best-known broadcasters during a career spanning more than four decades
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TONIGHT WITH GERRY KELLY
Guests ranged from country music icon Garth Brooks to football legend George Best, drawing figures from entertainment, politics and sport.
Mr Kelly joined BBC Radio Ulster in April 2009, initially presenting a Saturday programme before adding a Friday afternoon slot in January 2014.
He stepped back from the Friday show in October 2019 and concluded his Saturday broadcasts later that year.
In 2019, he also fronted the BBC NI television documentary Links to the Past: Pioneers of Ulster Golf.
His final television venture came in December 2022, when he partnered with Belfast Met students to produce Tonight with Gerry Kelly for NVTV.
The eight-episode series, filmed before a live audience, featured guests including Keith Duffy, Louis Walsh and Brian Kennedy.
Among his most memorable moments on screen was an interview with a young Rory McIlroy, then just eight years old, who was filmed chipping golf balls into a washing machine.
The clip became one of the most fondly recalled segments of his career.
In 2018, Mr Kelly disclosed publicly that he had received a cancer diagnosis two years earlier.
At the launch of his Belfast Met collaboration, he spoke of the joy of passing on expertise, saying 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”.
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly paid tribute, describing Mr Kelly as “a much-loved presenter with a huge character” who had “a face and a voice that so many generations across Northern Ireland were familiar with.”
She referenced his celebrated encounter with the young Mr McIlroy, offering her thoughts to his family and friends.
The presenter hosted his hugely popular UTV chat show from 1989 until 2005
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Tonight with Jerry Kelly
Former UTV colleague Adrian Logan called Mr Kelly “a colossus in UTV” and “a larger-than-life character.”
He added: “Everybody in the place just loved him. He treated everybody fairly and equally; he was such a good fella.”
Mr Logan said the man viewers saw on television was identical to the person off camera: “There were no airs or graces with him.”
Fellow broadcaster William Crawley remembered Mr Kelly as “a big star who was always a gentleman,” praising his ability to make interviews “feel like real conversations.”