Tony Blackburn 'absolutely shocked' by friend Steve Wright's death

What did you miss?

Tony Blackburn and Janey Lee Grace paid emotional tribute on Good Morning Britain to BBC radio presenter Steve Wright who died aged 69.

In the wake of the news, the celebrity friends of the radio presenter joined to the breakfast TV show to share their wonderful memories of the late star and their sadness. Blackburn summed it up saying: "I loved his warmth and his friendship. I will miss that so much."

What, how and why?

From his home in Hertfordshire, Blackburn revealed he was "absolutely shocked" to hear the news of his friend's death. "I've known him for many, many years, I thought he was just brilliant from the word go," he said. "We got on so well... I was absolutely shocked to hear that he passed away. I can't get it in my mind anymore."

Blackburn reflected on happier times as he remembered their meet ups that were filled with laughter and joy. He said: "We used to meet every Friday at Radio 2. We used to find one another funny. We used to go into the studio, not on air, just chat and laugh... He became a great friend. He worked so hard on his programme."

He added: "He became a great friend. I am so sad." Looking back fondly, the radio star credited his friend's hard work ethic as he turned up at 9am in the morning to work at 2pm in the afternoon. "He put in so much effort," he said.

Blackburn was struck by his friend's genuine warmth. He said: "His warmth, he was a genuine person. He wasn't pretending to be someone else. That was the secret." The presenter remembered telling his friend: "You are delightfully 'nutty'." And he recalled his response, "He said, 'I'm not as nutty as you are.' He had a wonderful sense of humour."

Among the moments of laughter, the friends used to love singing jingles to each other too. "He was just wonderful," Blackburn said of his friend. "He was a real broadcasting legend. A proper DJ... He was a very good interviewer, he got everyone else at ease, that was his secret, he was a genuinely kind man."

Janey Lee Grace's tribute to Steve Wright

Wright's co-presenter of 24 years, Janey Lee Grace, also paid tribute to the late star in an emotional segment on Good Morning Britain. She remembered how they had so much fun laughing together.

"I wish the stuff we had been able to say off air could be broadcast," she said. "It was really fun. People loved coming in to be interviewed. He was so supportive, he made people feel really relaxed."

The radio star revealed Wright's kindness towards celebrities. She said: "If it was a comedian who had a long tour, he would say to them if tickets hadn't sold out they could come back on and we will give it another push."

Emotional Janey praised the late star for being everyone's friend. "He was so relatable everyone saw him as a friend," she said. "It was like we’ve lost a friend for everyone. He made the world a better place."

Of his work, she remembered: "He was incredibly professional. A perfectionist really. He really cared about getting it right... He would prep for hours and hours, every little segment."

Read more

• Steve Wright, BBC radio presenter, has died (Sky News, 4-min read)