Going For Gold and Game For A Laugh presenter Henry Kelly dies aged 78

Irish radio and television presenter Henry Kelly, who will be best remembered for presenting such shows as Going For Gold and Game For A Laugh has died at the age of 78.

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Irish radio and television presenter Henry Kelly has died aged 78, following 'a period of ill health', his family has announced.

Kelly began his career as a hard news journalist with the Irish Times, resulting in him covering The Troubles in 1970s Northern Ireland, but a decade later he decided to pursue a completely different path in light entertainment - having been keen to emulate the success of his friend Terry Wogan. 

The always-smiling host will be best remembered as a household name for presenting shows such as Going For Gold and Game For A Laugh. 

Kelly's family said he 'died peacefully' on Tuesday 'after a period of ill health'.

Their statement said: 'Henry will be sorely missed by his friends and family, including his partner Karolyn Shindler, their son Alexander, Henry's daughter Siobhan and her mother Marjorie.'

Kelly, born on 17 April, 1946, in Athlone, County Westmeath in Ireland, into a family of five children, showed a prowess in his youth for writing and became interested in pursuing a career as a news reporter. 

He enrolled at University College Dublin, during which he wrote theatre reviews for The Irish Times.

After graduating with a degree in English in 1968, he was taken on as a fledgling journalist with the paper and within two years had been promoted to Belfast-based Northern Editor.

Irish radio and television presenter Henry Kelly has died at the age of 78, following 'a period of ill health', his family has announced

The presenter, pictured in 2016, will be best remembered as a household name for presenting shows such as Going For Gold and Game For A Laugh

Kelly with his partner Karolyn Shindler in 1996. The couple lived in north London

It was while in this role that he began covering The Troubles, also known as the Northern Ireland conflict, and the civil unrest that ensued during this time. 

In 1972, he authored a book, How Stormant Fell, which is still regarded highly by historians as a portrayal of political events between 1968 and 1972. 

He went on to cover the Middle East and the civil war in Lebanon. 

Kelly also visited Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam during his time as a journalist.

Four years later, Kelly moved to the BBC to work on Radio 4's The World Tonight programme.

He seemed set on a path to covering news, but at the age of 34 decided on a career change in television light entertainment.

Kelly was a friend of fellow Belvedere College pupil Sir Terry Wogan, who fronted a host of entertainment shows including the Eurovision Song Contest and Blankety Blank, and was keen to emulate his success as a household name. 

HIs chance came in 1981, when he was chosen as a co-presenter on London Weekend Television's primetime show, Game For A Laugh. 

As a presenter, Henry Kelly was as adept behind the mic as he was in front of the cameras 

Career change: Kelly decided to switch from journalism into TV light entertainment - and never looked back 

Kelly pictured with sports presenter Des Lynam and Irish actor T P McKenna outside Green's Oyster Bar in London

On the way to success: Kelly with Game For a Laugh co-hosts Matthew Kelly, Sarah Kennedy and Jeremy Beadle

Kelly with Max Bygraves, Lionel Blair, Eric Morecambe, Ernie Wise, The Krankies (Janette Tough and her husband Ian Tough), Ted Rogers, Glyn Houston, Robert Gillespie, Henry Kelly, Sarah Kennedy, and Jeremy Beadle, with a cardboard cut-out of Des O'Connor

The role, which he stayed in until 1983, shot him to success and secured Kelly as a firm household favourite, alongside co-hosts Sarah Kennedy, Matthew Kelly (who was not a relation) and Jeremy Beadle.

Featuring a variety of practical jokes, contestants were subjected to the Dunk Tunk, where they would be lowered into a tank of water and a Pie Chair, where they would be pied in the face when answering a question wrong. 

The show became so popular that it effectively killed the BBC's Saturday night flagship show, The Generation Game. 

In June that year, he became the host of TV-AM, and presented the Saturday edition of Good Morning Britain with Toni Arthur.

After leaving the show in 1987, Kelly was given a 'golden' opportunity - as the host of a new BBC1 quiz show - Going For Gold.

Aired just after the lunchtime showing of Neighbours, Going For Gold became a huge daytime hit with a cult following and featured a memorable theme tune by future award-winning composer Hans Zimmer.

Today, Zimmer is best known for his work on scoring box office hit films, including No Time To Die, The Lion King, Gladiator, The Dark Knight and Black Hawk Down, but to name a few.

Despite his rocketing success however, Zimmer does not shy away from acknowledging his earlier work. 

Kelly with legendary host Sir Michael Parkinson, who died two years ago aged 88

Kelly with Paul Gambachini during the Sony Radio Awards launch party at the Commonwealth Club in London, in 2002

Kelly (right) takes to the street of London on a motorised sofa, a reproduction of the one which graced the cover of Classic FM's album, Time to Relax, as part of a publicity stunt in 2001

Speaking to The Guardian in 2014, he said: 'I'm not ashamed of it! It paid the rent and opened up all sorts of doors. I will admit to it: we all have to have our guilty little somethings!' 

Going For Gold was unique in that it featured contestants from across Europe competing against one another to win a prize.

Kelly's natural humour and flair for presenting made him an instant household name. 

He went on to host BBC 1 game show Going For Gold for 10 seasons from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s.

It was shortly revived by Channel 5 with newsreader John Suchet at the helm during the 2000s, with the European contestants absent from the revival. 

Kelly also appeared in comedy show Dinnerladies, had a stint on morning programme TV-am, and talk show After Dark. 

Like his icon Wogan, he was as comfortable on the mic in a radio station, as he was in front of cameras.

During the late 80s, he hosted a range of shows on talk radio station LBC and in 1992 was a founding presenter on Classic FM's breakfast show, attracting nearly 3.5 million listeners.

Kelly (standing, back) winces as Belfast comedian Frank Carson (seated at piano) attempts to show guest Richard Clayderman how to play the piano, in 1984

Kelly pictured with his partner, historian and former BBC producer Karolyn Shindler

Henry Kelly (left), Anneka Rice (centre) and Nick Owen attend the Bafta Piccadilly for a party to celebrate the 20th anniversary of TV-am in 2003

He continued on the show until 2003, returning in 2006 to host on Sunday mornings. 

Kelly went on to co-author the 1990s collection Classic FM Musical Anecdotes, Notes And Quotes with John Foley. 

In 1994 Kelly was voted national broadcaster of the year in the Sony Radio Awards.

His later radio career saw him work at local station BBC Radio Berkshire between 2005 and 2015.

In 2022, Kelly along with RTE and TV3 current affairs presenter Vincent Browne was asked by a Belfast coroner to give evidence at the inquest of barman John Moran, who was killed in a loyalist bomb attack in 1972.

A hearing, at Belfast Coroner's Court, heard that Kelly's partner had indicated he has no recollection of the incident and is unable to assist.

Last year, the court said it had been unable to conclude the inquest by a deadline.

Away from his public life, Kelly was a lover of classical music, fine food, golf, cricket and horse racing.

In a nod to his previous career, he was also 'fascinated' by current affairs, his daughter revealed.

Barrister Siobhan Kelly, who was born during Kelly's 20-year marriage to his childhood sweetheart, Marjorie, told The Irish Times:  'Right till the very last minute, his mind was as sharp as anything, his fascination with current affairs never diminished. We were talking about rugby and Ukraine last Sunday – he was thrilled to have seen Ireland win the Triple Crown on Saturday.'

Kelly also had a son, Alex, with his partner, historian and former BBC producer Karolyn Shindler, with whom he lived in Hampstead, north London.

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