Simon Hoggart, who chaired BBC Radio 4’s The News Quiz for 12 years has died at the age of 67.
Simon was a journalist for the Guardian and Observer for 45 years writing his final article just last month.
His last story, a review of 2013, appeared on 19th December. It was a summary in which he noted that, while Pope Francis “may have renounced his own infallibility”, Margaret Thatcher never did.
His last edition of The News Quiz was in March 2006 when he said “It’s been a marvellous ten years – 12 if you count a previous incarnation in the 1980’s – but I’m getting a bit clapped out and jaded, and I think that’s beginning to show.
“Better to quit while still ahead rather than have kindly broadcasting executives accompanied by soothing nurses drag me out by the heels in a few years’ time.”
The Guardian reports Simon made it home for Christmas Day but soon returned to the Royal Marsden hospital, where he died on Sunday afternoon from pancreatic cancer.
Simon also published 20 books and took part in many radio and television programmes.
In 1998 he was part of BBC Radio 4’s 5-part political satire programme Cartoons, Lampoons, and Buffoons.
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Posted on Monday, January 6th, 2014 at 11:29 am by RadioToday Staff