Henry Kelly, a founding presenter on Classic FM, dies aged 78 after a period of ill health

26 February 2025, 13:49 | Updated: 26 February 2025, 14:15

One of Classic FM’s founding presenters and a legendary broadcaster, Henry Kelly has died aged 78.

Writer and broadcaster Henry Kelly, a former Classic FM presenter, has died aged 78.

Henry was a founding presenter on Classic FM, part of the original line-up when the UK’s first national commercial radio station launched in 1992.

His daily morning programme from 1992 to 2003 drew around 3.3 million listeners, and he was voted National Broadcaster of the Year in the 1994 Sony Radio Awards.

A statement from Kelly’s family said he “died peacefully on 25 February 2025 after a period of ill health”.

“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,” the statement continued.

Remembering Henry Kelly, one of Classic FM's founding presenters

Born in Dublin on 17 April 1946, Henry began his career in newspapers, working for the Irish Times in Belfast in the 1970s.

In 1976, Henry moved to London and hosted current affairs programme, The World Tonight, as a reporter and presenter.

He left journalism in the 1980s, becoming the host of hugely popular television series Game for a Laugh on ITV and numerous other radio and TV programmes.

Henry presented the cult quiz programme Going for Gold, whose theme tune was composed by Hans Zimmer, for ten seasons from the late 1980s to 1990s.

Henry also presented a programme on Classic FM’s sister station, LBC.

Classic FM listeners have been sharing their favourite memories of Henry.

Mark in Loughton, Essex, shared: “My funniest memory of Henry Kelly is when he presented an episode of the game show Going for Gold. He asked a contestant to name the correct letter in a sequence. While he paused, the contestant said, ‘Erm…’ and Henry Kelly said – ‘correct!’ The audience were in stitches.”

Susan in Broughty Ferry got in touch to say: “He was out and about promoting Classic FM at the very start and I went to see him when he was in Dundee. From day one I’ve been listening to Classic FM and that’s my abiding memory of the start of Classic FM – seeing Henry Kelly in person.”

Henry will be missed by all of us at Classic FM.