BBC Radio Sheffield's Andy Kershaw pays tribute to 'good friend' following death of BBC Radio 1's Andy Kershaw

Andy Kershaw, the veteran BBC Radio Sheffield journalist, thanked the public today for their concerns following the death of his friend, Andy Kershaw, the BBC Radio 1 DJ.

News broke today (April 17) that Andy Kershaw, 66, who hosted Radio 1 for 15 years from 1985 and Radio 4 during the 1994 Rawanda Genocide, died on April 16, following a battle with cancer.

However, his passing has led to several fans expressing their concern for Andy Kershaw, 68, the well known BBC Radio Sheffield journalist and community champion.

Andy, 68, told The Star several people have reached out to him to today, and he was that the late Radio 1 star was a good friend.

Andy said: “It’s very sad. I’m grateful to the people who have reached out and expressed their premature remorse, but I can say it’s not me.

“We did know each other. He came to Sheffield several times, such as for his one-man show and book ‘No Off Switch,’ and to report on the Sheffield Tree Scandal.

“When he came on Radio Sheffield with me, it was uncanny.

“We were friends and we were in contact. I knew he had cancer and he messaged me about 12 months ago.

“He was a global figure and a journalist, a musicographer you could say, who did a lot of serious journalistic work in Haiti and Africa. He was really the first guy on Radio 1 to promote world music, and we shall all be very grateful. I greatly admired his work.

“We had very fond memories. He was a great guy who gave up a lot of his time, and his death is very premature.”