Dermot Murnaghan dead aged 68 after cancer battle
The veteran broadcaster and former Sky News anchor has died aged 68 after living with stage four prostate cancer, following a year spent campaigning to raise awareness of screening for the disease.
Dermot Murnaghan, the veteran broadcaster whose calm authority guided viewers through some of the biggest news events of the past four decades, has died aged 68 after living with stage four prostate cancer, his family has announced.
The former Sky News lead anchor died peacefully at his home in north London on Saturday (11.07.26) morning with his family by his side, according to a statement shared on X.
His death comes a year after Dermot revealed he had been diagnosed with what he described as “incurable but it’s not untreatable” prostate cancer and began campaigning to raise awareness of screening for the disease.
His family said: “It is with great sadness that the family of Dermot Murnaghan announces that he passed away at home in north London earlier this morning at the age of 68 following a period of illness with prostate cancer. He died peacefully with his family at his side.”
They added: “The family wish to thank the medical teams who cared for Dermot with such sensitivity and extraordinary compassion throughout his illness. Also, for the many, many kind messages of goodwill that he received over the last year since his diagnosis of stage 4 prostate cancer and his subsequent campaigning to raise awareness for screening programmes for the disease.”
In accordance with Dermot’s wishes, his funeral will be a small family ceremony.
The statement continued a memorial service for friends and colleagues will be held later this year at St Bride’s Church in London’s Fleet Street, while asking those wishing to honour his memory to consider supporting Prostate Cancer UK, Prostate Cancer Research and North London Hospice.
Dermot became one of Britain’s most recognisable television journalists during a career spanning five decades, presenting for Channel 4, ITV, the BBC and, most prominently, Sky News, where he spent 15 years as one of the channel’s lead anchors before leaving in 2023.
He was also familiar to audiences as the long-serving host of the BBC quiz show Eggheads, adding to a career that combined hard news with factual and entertainment programming.
Throughout his broadcasting career, Dermot fronted flagship programmes including ITV Evening News, BBC News at Six, BBC News at Ten and Sky News Tonight.
He was also the only broadcaster to have presented Channel 4 News, ITV’s News at Ten, the BBC’s Ten O’Clock News and Sky’s News at Ten, covering defining moments including the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales, and Queen Elizabeth II.
Dermot announced his diagnosis in June last year, telling supporters he had stage four advanced prostate cancer but was responding positively to treatment.
He used his platform to encourage men over 50 and those in higher-risk groups to seek testing and campaigned publicly for routine prostate cancer screening, including supporting awareness initiatives alongside fellow campaigners.
In the months following his diagnosis, Dermot spoke candidly about believing he had “fell through the gaps” before his cancer was discovered and repeatedly urged men to “demand” PSA testing if they had concerns, helping to keep the issue of prostate cancer awareness in the public spotlight.
