John Stapleton’s former Daybreak colleague Kate Garraway has led the tributes to her “dear friend and journalistic hero”. The veteran broadcaster, who presented on programmes including the BBC’s Watchdog and ITV’s Good Morning Britain (GMB), died in hospital on Sunday morning at the age of 79, his agent told the PA news agency.
Garraway, 58, who presented alongside Stapleton on GMTV before it was replaced with Daybreak and then GMB, shared a photo of the two presenting on the GMTV sofa in a post to social media. She said: “Absolutely devastated to hear of the passing of my dear friend and journalistic hero #johnstapleton.
“Rock solid broadcaster and the ultimate gentleman. His experience stretched back to when he was a cub reporter on the Yorkshire Post.”
On his first day alone in the office, he was on scene during “one of our nation’s most horrific crimes”, according to Garraway, who appeared to be referencing the Moors murders.
She said: “He took a call from the police to say that they were starting to dredge the moors looking for what they feared were the bodies of murdered children.
“Others will pay testimony to his incredible career better than I, and I hope they do, but all I can say is he was most generous co partner, always lifting who was alongside him up, never crushing or ramming that he knew better (which he did!) down their throat, never taking over and always always fair, truthful and honourable. Huge fun too – no one told a story down the pub better than John.
“We will not see his like again. Thinking of his son Nick and all who knew and loved him.”
Fellow GMB presenter Charlotte Hawkins said Stapleton was a “brilliant broadcaster” and a “genuinely lovely man”.
Responding to the news in a post on X, Hawkins wrote: “So sad to hear John Stapleton – our ‘Stapes’ has died.
“He was such a brilliant broadcaster and I loved working with him on GMB.
“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.”
Stapleton revealed his diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease in October 2024.
GMB’s Susanna Reid said in a post: “He was a legend in broadcasting, the consummate pro and always good-humoured and gracious to work with. A huge part of GMB’s story and television history.”
Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis, who often appears on GMB, added: “He and his late wife Lynn were brilliant pioneers of consumer journalism, laying the ground for people like me. Thank you both.
“I had the pleasure of working with John on various incarnations of ITV breakfast.
“Always a gent and when he found out I’m from a Man City background too, that was it, you couldn’t stop him on the subject.
“City was his great passion.”
Former LBC Radio host Sangita Myska said Stapleton was “the epitome of collegiate behaviour” and “a great journalist, role model and gentleman”.
In a post on X, she recalled how Stapleton had “sent me a very kind message about my reporting. I was absolutely chuffed! We continued to message from time to time over the years. He was always quick with praise and wisdom.”
Elsewhere, GMB co-creator Erron Gordon said Stapleton’s “versatility was unmatched”.
In a post on X, he wrote: “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.”
Caroline Rassell, chief executive at Parkinson’s UK, said in a social media post: “We are so sad to hear of the death of John Stapleton. A wonderful man and broadcaster, his was a voice and face that so many of us have known for decades.”
Stapleton was also a big fan of Manchester City, who said they were “saddened to learn” of his death in a post to X.
Appearing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain to talk about his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis in 2024, he said: “There’s no point in being miserable… It won’t ever change.
“I mean, Parkinson’s is here with me now for the rest of my life. Best I can do is try and control it and take the advice of all the experts.”
Later, in a segment on Morning Live, Stapleton challenged himself to learn to sing for BBC Children In Need and said he was told that singing could help with his symptoms, especially his tremors.
Born in Oldham in 1946, Stapleton began his career in newspapers before presenting BBC’s Panorama and Newsnight, where he reported from trouble spots in the Middle East, El Salvador and Argentina during the Falklands War in the early 1980s.
He also presented GMB, when it was part of TV-am, before returning to the BBC in 1986 to present consumer show Watchdog alongside his wife Lynn Faulds Wood until 1993.
In the 1990s, he presented ITV discussion show The Time, The Place, which he hosted until 1998, the year he began hosting GMTV’s News Hour with Penny Smith.
In 2010, Stapleton became a special correspondent for Daybreak, which replaced GMTV, and also served as a presenter at times.
He continued on GMB when it replaced Daybreak, before leaving the show in 2015.
Stapleton met his wife in 1971, and the pair wed in 1977 and were married for 43 years before she died at the age of 72 in 2020 after suffering a stroke.
The couple shared one child, Nick Stapleton, who appears on BBC One’s Scam Interceptors.
Stapleton’s agent, Jackie Gill, told PA: “John had Parkinson’s disease, which was complicated by pneumonia.
“His son Nick and daughter-in-law Lisa have been constantly at his side, and John died peacefully in hospital this morning.”