John Stapleton son: As beloved BBC presenter dies at 79, what did Nick Stapleton recently say?
Veteran presenter John Stapleton has died at 79 after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
John Stapleton’s agent Jackie Gill shared the news that the beloved presenter had died at the age of 79. She said that "his son Nick and daughter-in-law Lisa have been constantly at his side and John died peacefully in hospital".
Jackie Gill also revealed that John Stapleton’s Parkinson’s disease had been complicated by pneumonia. After beginning his career in newspapers, John Stapleton presented BBC's Panorama and Newsnight, as well as GMB.
John Stapleton’s wife Lyn Faulds Wood predeceased him in 2020, they presented BBC consumer show Watchdog from 1986 to 1993. Good Morning Britain presenter Charlotte Hawkins paid tribute to John Stapleton and said that he was a "brilliant broadcaster".
Charlotte Hawkins also said: "A genuinely lovely man, it was good to see him when he came in just a few months ago to talk about his Parkinson's diagnosis.
"He'll be much missed."
Erron Gordon, Good Morning co-creator took to X and said: “John Stapleton was one of the very best presenters I directed at GMTV and @GMB. His versatility was unmatched, and he had an innate ability to navigate any challenge from breaking news to technical hiccups, whether in the studio or on location he was brilliant. Each Christmas, he and @WhichPennySmith would bring the crew presents, showing just how much he cared about the team. He was truly one of the good guys. Rest in peace, Stapes.”
Nick Stapleton, the son of John Stapleton and Lyn Faulds Wood, had recently appeared on BBC’s Morning Live where he revealed his father had “taken a turn for the worse.”
Nick also said: “ Unfortunately, dad’s got a bit of a chest infection, and that can be pretty nasty if you’ve got Parkinson’s. And I just felt like I really needed to be there with him this weekend and get him some help.
“And thankfully that is now in place, and I’m hopeful that, you know, he’ll be back on form pretty soon.”
In October 2024, Nick Stapleton shared how his father’s Parkinson’s diagnosis has been especially hard to cope with, given the loss of his mother four years ago. He said: “I witnessed my mother’s decline from this lively, ebullient, outgoing lady to a lady who is fairly fragile. Believe it or not, I’m having the same problem, to some extent, myself right now.”
In a video clip shown on BBC One’s Morning Live, John Stapleton said at the time that “Speaking is how I’ve earned my living for the best part of 50 years,” and also said: “I am fairly pragmatic about the prospect of this getting worse. I try to remain positive, because what’s the point of not being?”