BBC RADIO BROADCASTER BRIAN MATTHEW 'CRITICALLY ILL BUT ALIVE'

BBC Radio 2 broadcaster Brian Matthew is critically ill, the station has clarified after initially announcing his death. 

The BBC had originally been informed by a member of Matthew's family that he had died.

A spokesman for the corporation said: "We were informed by close family and friends that Brian had passed away in the night. 

"They have since been in contact to say that he remains critically ill."

The statement added: "We will update with more information when we have it. Our thoughts remain with his family at this very difficult time."

Matthew started broadcasting in 1948 in Germany and trained as an actor before joining the BBC in 1954.

After Radio 2 was launched in 1967, he became one of the station’s first DJs and hosted programmes such as Saturday Club, Thank Your Lucky Stars and Late Night Extra, but became known for presenting the long-running Round Midnight programme which won the 1987 Pulitzer Publishing Award.

In April 1990 he began presenting Sounds Of The 60s, which won a Gold Sony Radio Award in 1996, until November last year.