British radio host dies on air while doing morning show

A longtime British radio host died of a suspected heart attack on Monday, while presenting his daily segment on the air, his radio station announced.

Tim Gough, 55, died early Monday morning while his show “Tim Gough at Breakfast” aired live, GenX Radio said in a news release. Gough was presenting the show from his home in Suffolk, the county in east England where he was born.

GenX Radio said staff members are “shocked and devastated beyond words” over the loss of their colleague, whom the station described as “a hugely experienced and highly talented broadcaster with an army of fans for his daily show.”

James Hazell, the managing director of GenX Radio Suffolk who knew Gough throughout his career, praised the radio host.

“Tim has been on the radio since the 80s and had come out of radio retirement to fully involve himself in our project form the beginning, to bring local commercial radio back to his beloved Suffolk and was hugely excited for our DAB launch at the end of the month,” Hazell said in a statement.

“To know Tim personally, as I did very closely for over 30 years, was to know a warm, caring, fun guy who myself and my family loved dearly. We are heartbroken by the news,” the statement continued. “I know his family are enormously comforted by the hundreds of loving messages that have been received and have asked for privacy at this devastating time.”

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GenX Radio Suffolk also honored Gough’s legacy and shared its condolences to his family in a social media message posted on Monday.

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to inform you, our dear friend and breakfast host Tim Gough passed away this morning whilst presenting his program,” the station tweeted. “Our love to his family, son, sister, brother and mum. Tim was doing what he loved.”

Gough started his career in radio more than three decades ago, according to a biography posted on the GenX website. He worked at several local stations in the U.K., including Radio Orwell, Saxon Radio and SGR-FM, and appeared on the national Smooth Radio station as well. Gough had returned from retirement to host the morning breakfast series on GenX Radio Suffolk.  

Gough leaves behind a mother, brother, sister and son, the station said.