Who Was Gerry Kelly Broadcaster? UTV’s “Kelly” Host Dies at 77

Gerry Kelly was a Northern Irish broadcaster and journalist best known for hosting UTV’s Friday night talk show, Kelly, from 1989 to 2005. He died at the age of 77 at his home in Coney Island, County Down, on Sunday, July 26, 2026, surrounded by his family, according to UTV News. ITV News UTV

Who Was Gerry Kelly?

Gerry Kelly, born Gerard Kelly, was born in Ballymena in 1948 and grew up in Downpatrick after his family moved there in the early 1950s. Before entering broadcasting, he taught and lectured at St. Mary’s College in Belfast and worked as a leisure development officer for Belfast City Council. His path into media started small, but it grew into one of the most recognised broadcasting careers in Northern Ireland, according to That Eric Alper. That Eric AlperThat Eric Alper

How Did His Broadcasting Career Begin?

Kelly’s broadcasting career began as a part-time GAA reporter at Ulster Television, though he left the station after being blacklisted by the National Union of Journalists. He then spent a year at the Down Recorder before returning to UTV in 1979, where he worked his way up from reporter to presenter of the evening magazine programme Good Evening Ulster. This early period shaped the skills that later made him a household name, as reported by That Eric Alper. That Eric AlperThat Eric Alper

What Was the Kelly Show?

Kelly became a broadcasting fixture through his Friday night talk and variety show Kelly, which he presented on UTV from 1989 until 2005. The show ran for 17 years and became a “must-watch” on Friday nights, featuring some of the biggest names in entertainment. Over the years, guests included a young Rory McIlroy, who famously featured on the programme to demonstrate his golfing skills by chipping a golf ball into a washing machine at just nine years old, with the clip later watched millions of times online. Other well-known guests included boxing legends Frank Bruno and Barry McGuigan, as well as country legend Garth Brooks and footballer George Best, according to The Irish News. Gerry Kelly (broadcaster) +3

Why Did the Kelly Show End?

In September 2005, UTV announced that Kelly would end, with Kelly saying that UTV were unhappy with the show airing in the 9pm slot, as the station had to opt out of ITV’s network schedule. Instead of moving the show to a new time slot, UTV decided to cancel it completely, and the final episode aired on 16 December 2005. This decision closed one of the longest-running chapters of his career, as noted by Wikipedia. WikipediaWikipedia

What Did Gerry Kelly Do After UTV?

After the show ended, Kelly returned the following year with Gerry Meets…, a one-on-one interview series. He later left UTV in 2008 on good terms and moved to BBC Radio Ulster, where he worked from April 2009 until December 2019, presenting on Fridays from 3:00pm to 5:00pm and on Saturdays from 12:00pm to 1:30pm. In recent years, he also teamed up with students at Belfast Met to produce a revival of his chat show for community broadcaster NVTV, now That’s TV, alongside a dozen former UTV staffers. This later work showed his continued commitment to mentoring new talent, as covered by The Irish News. Gerry Kelly, Broadcaster And Host Of ‘Kelly,’ Dies At 77 – That Eric Alper +3

Did Gerry Kelly Face Health Struggles?

In 2018, Kelly revealed he had been diagnosed with cancer two years earlier. Despite this, he continued working in broadcasting for several more years, staying connected to the industry he loved, according to RTÉ.

How Did Colleagues and Public Figures React to His Death?

Tributes poured in from across Northern Ireland’s media and political world. Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said she was sorry to hear of the death of Gerry Kelly, describing him as a face and a voice that so many generations across Northern Ireland were familiar with. Broadcaster William Crawley said Kelly had a rare gift for drawing out a guest with deep curiosity and genuine warmth, and that he made interviews feel like real conversations, while also inspiring, encouraging, and mentoring other broadcasters. UTV Head of News and Programmes Simon Clemison said Gerry Kelly was one of Northern Ireland’s best known and much-loved broadcasters, and that his UTV chat show ran for 17 years and became a must-watch on Friday nights. Former colleague Frank Mitchell described him as a true gentleman and one of the great TV hosts, while former UUP leader Mike Nesbitt called him UTV’s finest, saying great broadcasters make it look easy by knowing everything but pretending they don’t, gently steering conversations while still alert for the unexpected. These tributes are detailed further by ITV News. UTV leads tributes as former broadcaster Gerry Kelly dies aged 77 | UTV | ITV News +2

Quick Facts About Gerry Kelly

This table summarises the key facts of Gerry Kelly’s life and career, based on details reported by Wikipedia and That Eric Alper.