GB News’s Martin Daubney has paid tribute to James Whale, who died at 74 following a lengthy battle with cancer.
Whale was moved into a hospice recently and had shared he was “happy to go now and feels at peace” in his final column.
Whale’s death was announced on Talk on Monday, August 4, with colleague and friend Mike Graham paying a heartfelt tribute to Whale’s career of six decades.
“James began his remarkable career in the early 1970s when he pioneered a new kind of radio in Britain, the late night shock jock phone in,” he began.
“By the late 1980s, the James Whale radio show had become a cultural phenomenon, broadcasting every weekend on ITV. He attracted millions of viewers, making him a household name.
“James would go on to host a variety of programmes for ITV, Sky and the BBC before finding a new audience for talk radio, all the while continuing to make headlines during his appearance on Celebrity Big Brother.
“In 2006, after surviving kidney cancer, James launched Kidney Cancer UK, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds. In 2024, James was awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours, recognising his extraordinary contribution to broadcast and charity.
“James Whale broke the rules, he shaped the airwaves, and did it all on his own terms. For millions, James wasn’t just a broadcaster. He was a companion, a provocateur, and a good friend that we’ll all never forget. God bless you, James. We’ll miss you,” Graham signed off.