Veteran broadcaster John Stapleton, a familiar face to generations, has died.
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Stapleton passed away peacefully in the hospital, his agent, Jackie Gill, confirmed to the BBC. Gill stated that his Parkinson’s disease was worsened by pneumonia and that his son Nick and daughter-in-law Lise were “always by his side.”
Stapleton was 79.
Stapleton was a prominent figure on British TV, appearing on shows like the BBC’s Watchdog and GMTV’s News Hour. He started his career at the Oldham Chronicle.
Former Good Morning Britain presenter Charlotte Hawkins paid tribute to Stapleton, calling him a “brilliant broadcaster” and a “genuinely lovely man,” per the BBC.
Erron Gordon, Good Morning Britain co-creator and current BBC department head, said Stapleton’s on-air versatility was “unmatched.”
“He had an innate ability to navigate any challenge from breaking news to technical hiccups; whether in the studio or on location, he was brilliant,” Gordon added.
Stapleton started his career at local newspapers in north-west England before moving into TV. He joined the BBC’s Nationwide programme in 1975 and later became a journalist for the corporation’s flagship current affairs programme Newsnight in 1980, reporting from Argentina during the Falklands War.
John Stapleton’s Prolific Career in Broadcasting Included Working Alongside His Wife, Lynn Faulds Wood
In 1983, he joined ITV as part of the team behind the launch of the TV-am breakfast show. Three years later, he returned to the BBC to co-host the consumer advice program Watchdog with his wife, Lynn Faulds Wood.
Faulds Wood passed away from a stroke in 2020, leaving Stapleton to face his Parkinson’s diagnosis four years later with support from their son, Nick, a BBC journalist.
After Watchdog, Stapleton returned to ITV for GMTV, the successor to TV-am. He covered global news, including the war in Kosovo and Hurricane Katrina. Stapleton also interviewed figures like Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Princess Michael of Kent.
After GMTV ended in 2010, Stapleton remained with ITV, making regular appearances on Daybreak and Good Morning Britain until 2015.
In 2003, Stapleton received the Royal Television Society award for presenter of the year due to his coverage of the Iraq war for GMTV, during which he interviewed leaders like Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Stapleton’s son, Nick, paid a heartfelt tribute to the broadcasting legend on Instagram.
“He was just a very loving, unbelievably generous man,” he wrote in part alongside several candid snapshots.
“You won’t meet anyone with a bad word to say about him. And you can’t do much better than that,” he added.