Veteran presenter John Stapleton dies aged 79 after Parkinson’s diagnosis
The legendary broadcaster and journalist John Stapleton has died aged 79.
Veteran TV reporter Stapleton, who had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, died on Sunday morning after coming down with pneumonia.
Born in the Greater Manchester town of Oldham in 1946, he became best known for appearing on the BBC’s Watchdog and GMTV’s News Hour.
A statement from his agent said his Parkinson’s had been complicated by the pneumonia diagnosis, adding: ‘His son Nick and daughter-in-law Lisa have been constantly at his side and John died peacefully in hospital.’
Stapleton revealed his Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2024 on Good Morning Britain, saying: ‘There’s no point in being miserable. It won’t ever change.’
He continued: ‘I mean, Parkinson’s is here with me now for the rest of my life. The best I can do is try and control it and take the advice of all the experts.’
Stapleton began his career at the Oldham Evening Chronicle before forging a career on TV in the early 1970s, starting at Thames TV.
Tributes from viewers have poured in, with many celebrating Stapleton’s journalistic integrity and vast experience of working in TV reporting.
On X, @PaulBanks60 said: ‘Sad. He was never afraid to stand up to the worst in politics. Old school journalist and a good one at that.’
@Steve_Spud1968 commented: ‘Very sad news. A really decent and down to earth man and excellent broadcaster. RIP John.’
Tributes were also paid to Stapleton’s wife of 43 years Lynn Faulds Wood, who was also a broadcaster and journalist – they presented BBC’s Watchdog together.
Faulds Wood – who survived two bouts of cancer in the 1990s – died in 2020 at the age of 72 after suffering a stroke, following a career in journalism and TV presenting that had lasted almost 50 years.
Stapleton’s first job in TV was working behind the scenes on This Is Your Life, before getting his first job in front of the camera on the Today programme.
He then became known for his work on the current affairs show Nationwide, before moving over to the BBC’s Newsnight, on which he covered the Falklands War in the 1980s.
From there, he worked on Good Morning Britain, Watchdog, and Breakfast time, taking his career in the 1990s when he began working on The Time, The Place for ITV.
By the end of the 1990s, he was regular presenter on GMTV and was named as presenter of the year in 2004 by the Royal Television Society for his reporting on the Iraq War.
Away from TV, Stapleton became a Manchester City fan in the 1950s after being taken by his father to watch football matches at their old Maine Road stadium.
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