Iconic STV presenter dies aged 78 after long illness as tributes flood in
Tributes have flooded in for an iconic Scottish TV presenter who has sadly died.
Bob Cuddihy was best known for his time on STV in the 1970s and 1980s and spent 17 years as a reporter and presenter on the channel, reports OK!
He was a staple feature on Scotland Today and the political programme Ways and Means (1973-86).
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His 17-year stint with the channel saw him interview a host of colourful figures in politics and business. During his long career, he interviewed five British Prime Ministers, including friend Gordon Brown, as well as US President Richard Nixon and former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
Despite finding fame and settling in Scotland, Bob was born in New York in 1946 and arrived in the UK in 1962 following the heartbreaking death of both parents.
An obituary posted on STV, written by former STV Political Editor Bernard Ponsonby, describes him as: “A force beyond nature" and paints a picture of a man who saw people “seduced by his vivacious personality which was allied to a twin compulsion for mischief and over-indulgent fun".
The tribute also praises Bob's style, saying he was: “Immaculately attired in Gieves and Hawkes suit, a changing array of coloured spectacles and a wardrobe of tasselled loafers, he cut a dashing figure around Edinburgh.”
He was also best known for his July 4 parties. Friends took to social media to echo these sentiments. “Oh no! I was just thinking about Bob the other day. What a laugh we had. This is sad news,” said one. While another added: “Bob never lost his distinctive but cultured New York twang. He was an ever-present figure, particularly when I knew him amidst the Edinburgh media scrum of yesteryear.”
Bob left STV in 1989 to set up a public relations and media training company.
Bernard added about Bob’s final years in his tribute: “As he grew older, ill health came calling. In the last two years of his life he rarely left the flat but entertained friends to cocktails and conversation, all in his unique style. Even when struggling, the old Bob, that whirlwind of fun and great company was never far away.”
Bob is survived by his wife Maggie, brothers Christopher and Sean, sisters Deedee and Mikey, and his children, Aimee, Kate, and Patrick. He died after a long illness on October 23, 2024, aged 78.
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