Beloved BBC broadcaster John Bennett has died aged 82, it has been confirmed. Bennett was one of Northern Ireland ’s best-known radio personalities. He was also the first voice on Radio Ulster when it launched in 1975.
Announcing the sad news of his death, his family said in a statement that Bennett ‘peacefully’ died on Friday (July 26) surrounded by loved ones. His children have described him as a ‘consummate professional’ who had a ‘long and celebrated career in broadcasting’. ‘In addition to this, he served many years as a teacher.
He touched the lives of innumerable people, and they are ever the richer for his inspiration and influence. ‘Northern Ireland has lost a lynchpin in local broadcasting. We, as a family, have lost a loving Father, Father-in-law and cherished Granda.
’ Bennett is survived by his daughter Siobhan and his son Mark. He was married to his wife, Joan, for 53 years before she died in 2020. Adam Smyth, the director of BBC Northern Ireland, paid tribute to Bennett, saying that he ‘made radio presenting seem effortless’.
Smyth added that Bennett’s popularity was evident in how he ‘didn’t just have listeners – he had followers’. ‘He was always in command of his subject matter, knew what connected with people, and when to keep himself out of it. ‘John was with us from the very first day of Radio Ulster and has been an intrinsic part of the station ever since.
It’s hard to imagine Radio Ulster without him. Our deepest co.