Good Morning Britain presenter Susanna Reid and Sky News journalists Beth Rigby and Mark Austin were among those attending Dermot Murnaghan’s memorial service at St Bride’s Church in the City of London on Thursday.
Veteran broadcaster Murnaghan died aged 68 on July 11 following a period of illness with prostate cancer, having first announced his stage four diagnosis in 2025.
The former Eggheads quiz show host was best known for his 15-year tenure as a lead anchor on Sky News, and he presented news bulletins for the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 during his decades-long career.
Many of Murnaghan’s colleagues were in attendance including Sky’s political editor Rigby, along with news presenters Austin, Matt Barbet and Anna Jones.
Sky sports presenter Jacquie Beltrao also attended the service along with Times Radio presenter and former Sky News broadcaster Adam Boulton.
After his death, Reid shared a selfie of herself with Murnaghan on Instagram, calling it “utterly devastating news” as she remembered the “legendary news journalist and presenter”.
She recalled the “sheer pleasure of presenting with Dermot at BBC Breakfast”, and wrote: “Dermot was a serious journalist who never took himself too seriously.
“He was intelligent and charming and viewers and guests loved him.”
Rigby said she was “deeply saddened” by the death of Murnaghan, whom she worked with during coverage of the 2019 general election on Sky.
Murnaghan announced his “incurable but it’s not untreatable” prostate cancer diagnosis last year and became a vocal advocate and campaigner in raising awareness of the disease.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast last November, he urged men in high-risk groups to get themselves checked for prostate cancer, as he admitted he delayed getting tested “because I felt fine”.
A spokesperson for Prostate Cancer UK said the charity was “heartbroken” by his death, adding: “He was a passionate and dedicated supporter of our charity, and his work had a huge impact on the hundreds of thousands of men affected by prostate cancer across the country.”
Murnaghan started his presenting career in 1989, hosting Channel 4’s breakfast programme and its business segments before becoming one of its lead presenters.
At ITV he hosted the Lunchtime News and News at Ten, and led the coverage of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997.
The award-winning journalist was a main presenter of BBC Breakfast from 2002 until 2007 and presented his own show discussing politics and current affairs for Sky News.
He left Sky – where he covered the death of Queen Elizabeth II – in 2023.
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