tears keep falling
Radio 2’s Nicki Chapman breaks down in tears live on air as she reads tributes to Steve Wright after his death at 69
Presenter Nicki Chapman, who is standing in for Zoe Ball this week, read out emotional tributes from listeners
THE sudden death of legendary broadcaster Steve Wright has moved his colleagues to tears live on radio.
Radio 2's Nicki Chapman broke down as she read out listeners' tributes hours after news of the 69-year-old's shock passing was revealed.
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Presenter Nicki - who is standing in for Zoe Ball this week - encouraged listeners to send in their tributes, but one in particular moved her to tears.
Nicki's voice broke mid-sentence as she read out a message from a fan who explained they had once been a guest presenter on Steve's show in 2016, thanks to a Children In Need competition.
She read: "It was around the time of my 50th birthday celebrations and it was all my birthdays and Christmases at once.
"In person, he was the kind, funny, humble and lovable person I had listened to..."
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Nicki then stopped as she attempted to hold back tears, before bravely carrying on saying: "...over the airways all my life. I am heartbroken says Fran in Cumbria."
A song followed the listener's heartfelt message as Nicki composed herself.
When the presenter returned to the airwaves she confessed: "I said to myself I wasn't going to cry and I have done it once.
"The tears are there but hopefully they are not going to keep falling.
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"Today we are looking at the great, great man himself."
Earlier in the show, Nicki said: "It is so difficult to sum up what Steve meant to all of us.
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"The devastatingly sad news has come as a complete shock.
"Everyone seems to have such fond memories of our Wrighty because that's how we viewed and that's how we listened to him. He was ours.
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"He was our mate, talking to us in our kitchens as we made a brew, in our bedrooms, in the shower, in our cars, taxis, lorries, in our form rooms at school, in our gardens, at work - he was always in our hearts."
Nicki added: "It is a difficult day, it is a difficult day for all of us but we are doing him justice."
Insiders say BBC stars knew radio veteran Steve was "struggling with his health" but his death was still a "huge, huge shock".
It is not currently clear what the radio legend's health battle was.
Steve joined the BBC in the 1970s, going on to host shows on BBC Radio 1 and 2 for more than four decades which attracted millions of listeners.
He was also a long-standing presenter of Top Of The Pops on BBC One.
In 1999, he recreated Steve Wright In The Afternoon every weekday on Radio 2, with celebrity interviews and entertaining trivia featured in his Factoids segment, before stepping down in September 2022.
Former BBC Radio 1 host Scott Mills took over the afternoon slot as part of the station's schedule shake-up.
Steve had been due to be part of BBC Radio's plans to launch four new stations over the airwaves.
A statement shared to the broadcaster by Steve's family said: "It is with deep sorrow and profound regret that we announce the passing of our beloved Steve Wright.
"In addition to his son, Tom, and daughter, Lucy, Steve leaves behind his brother, Laurence and his father Richard.
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"Also, much-loved close friends and colleagues, and millions of devoted radio listeners who had the good fortune and great pleasure of allowing Steve into their daily lives as one of the UK's most enduring and popular radio personalities.
"As we all grieve, the family requests privacy at this immensely difficult time."
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