Radio DJ Steve Wright pictured in the mid-1990sRadio stalwart Steve Wright died due to a ruptured ulcer in his stomach, it has been confirmed.
The Radio 2 legend died suddenly in February, at the age of 69, with the Metropolitan Police saying at the time that the broadcaster’s death was “unexpected”, but “not being treated as suspicious”.
On Tuesday morning, BBC News reported that Steve’s death certificate lists his cause of death as acute peritonitis and a perforated gastric peptic ulcer.
The NHS website describes peritonitis as “an infection of the inner lining of your tummy”, which “can become life threatening” if left untreated.
Steve will be best remembered for his work at BBC Radio 2, where he presented the afternoon show for more than 20 years, beginning in 1999.
He hosted his final afternoon show in September 2023, but insisted at the time that he would not be retiring from broadcasting or leaving Radio 2.
Steve Wright in the early years of his broadcasting career back in the late 70sIn a statement announcing his death, Steve’s family celebrated him as “one of the UK’s most enduring and popular radio personalities”.
The BBC’s director general also hailed him as a “wonderful broadcaster who has been a huge part of so many of our lives over many decades” and “the ultimate professional”, while the head of Radio 2 said: “Steve understood the connection and companionship that radio engenders better than anyone, and we all loved him for it.
“He was a consummate professional whose attention to detail was always second to none, and he made his guests laugh, he was fair, and he wanted to showcase them and their work in the best possible light, bringing brilliant stories to our listeners.”
