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Former DJ and Live Aid presenter Andy Kershaw dies aged 66

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DJ Andy Kershaw
DJ Andy Kershaw has died at the age of 66. Picture: Alamy

By Flaminia Luck

Former DJ and Live Aid presenter Andy Kershaw has died aged 66, his family have said.

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In January, it was announced that the broadcaster had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing treatment.

He was left unable to walk after tumours were discovered in his spine.

Born in Rochdale in 1959, the DJ discovered his love for music through "an early obsession with Bob Dylan", according to his website.

Andy Kershaw on stage at the South Africa Freedom Day concert in Trafalgar Square, London, which was attended by the country's former President Nelson Mandela
Andy Kershaw on stage at the South Africa Freedom Day concert in Trafalgar Square, London, which was attended by the country's former President Nelson Mandela. Picture: Alamy

He started his career in 1984 as the host of rock music show Old Grey Whistle Test.

In a notable moment in his career, Kershaw co-presented the coverage of Live Aid.

He also travelled across the world to cover conflicts and cultural stories for the BBC, reporting on the 1994 Rwandan genocide and the civil war in Sierra Leone in 2001.

Kershaw also documented radio diaries from North Korea which were among the first programmes to be recorded inside the country.

Andy Kershaw is a British broadcaster
Picture: Alamy

His distinctive take on life and humour could also be seen when he released a statement after learning of his cancer diagnosis.

Saying he was in "good spirits", he joked: "I am determined not to die before Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Ant' n 'Dec. That should keep me going for a while."