80s and 90s TV legend Henry Kelly dies aged 78
Henry Kelly, who presented TV shows such as Going for Gold and Game for a Laugh, has died aged 78, a statement from his family said. They said he “died peacefully” on Tuesday “after a period of ill health”.
Their statement said: “Henry will be sorely missed by his friends and family, including his partner Karolyn Shindler, their son Alexander, Henry’s daughter Siobhan and her mother Marjorie.”
Kelly began his career in 1968 as a journalist at The Irish Times, covering The Troubles in Belfast. He departed in 1976 and moved to London, working on BBC Radio 4's The World Tonight.
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At age 34 he had a career change - pursuing TV presenting, particularly in light entertainment. It was in 1981 that he got the job on Game for a Laugh on ITV and became a household name in the UK. In 1983 he joined TV-am, hosting the Saturday edition of Good Morning Britain.
Leaving in 1987, he presented game show Going for Gold on BBC 1 until 1996. He made a return to journalism in 1988, chairing After Dark. His later career included sporadic TV appearances, including in Victoria Wood's sitcom dinnerladies.
He was also a familiar voice on radio, starting as one of the launch presenters of Classic FM in 1992. He stayed with the station until 2003, returning again between 2006 and 2008.
In September 2003, Kelly took up the Drivetime slot on LBC. Kelly spent two weeks in June 2005 presenting the late show on BBC Radio London and in September 2005 took over the weekday mid-morning show on BBC Radio Berkshire from 10am to 1pm. He later presented a Saturday mid-morning show for the station until 2015.
