BBC presenter Ed Doolan dies at 76 after battle with dementia

Legendary BBC presenter Ed Doolan has died, aged 76.

Doolan passed away in his sleep in the early hours of 16 January, with his wife, Christine, by his side, after a battle with vascular dementia.

‘We have lost a great champion and a truly skilled and popular broadcaster and newspaper columnist,’ said his agent, Paul Vaughan.

Doolan became synonymous with radio-based consumer affairs shows after almost 50 years in radio and presenting, but semi-retired from the industry in 2011. It was a year later when he was diagnosed with vascular dementia.

Head of Local and Regional Programmes for BBC West Midlands, David Jennings, said: ‘Ed was a broadcasting giant loved by generations of radio listeners in the West Midlands. On his daily show, he was the people’s champion – tireless in his pursuit of truth and fairness for all.’

The veteran broadcaster was born in Sydney, Australia, starting his career in Cologne at German World Service, in 1970.

In 1982, he moved to Birmingham to join BBC Radio WM, and was the first ever local radio presenter to enter the Radio Academy Hall of Fame, back in 2004.

In 2014, he revealed to BBC WM listeners that he was fighting dementia and had been for a while. Only last year the BBC aired a documentary following his battle, showing viewers how he still carried on presenting his weekly show at the station.

Ed Doolan was awarded an MBE for broadcasting and services to charity. He was the first to be given honorary doctorates by the University of Birmingham, the University of Aston, and Birmingham City University.

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