John Stapleton’s son has shared a heart-wrenching new tribute to his father, whose death was announced yesterday at the age of 79.
In a Facebook post, Nick Stapleton began by saying: “Finding the right words for this is really, really hard. I’m incredibly blessed to have had two pretty remarkable parents. Amazing people who in amongst all they achieved somehow also found the time to do a decent job raising me.
“Losing them both comparatively young is very hard to take.”
John was married to Lynn Faulds Wood. She died of a stroke back in 2020, aged 72.
John Stapleton’s son shares broadcaster’s reaction to Parkinson’s diagnosis
He went on to write that John has been “very, very unwell” for quite some time due to Parkinson’s — a diagnosis he announced last year.
“He wasn’t happy living his life as it was with Parkinson’s; that’s the truth,” Nick added. “It turns out he got what he wanted – to leave us on his terms, without suffering. Living independently and still doing the things he loved until almost the very end.
“I’m sad for me and my wife, who now have to live on without either of them, but I’m happy for him.”
Nick then went on to describe all the things John loved: his late wife, Manchester City, Nick’s dog, Nick’s wife, his wife, his friends and being a broadcaster.
Speaking about his mother, Lynn, Nick added: “More than anyone he loved my mum. Losing her broke him for a long time, although he managed to find his own way and lived a full life without her.”
He ended his statement by saying: “He was just a very loving, unbelievably generous man. You won’t meet anyone with a bad word to say about him. And you can’t do much better than that. He and I spoke pretty much every day. He was genuinely one of my best friends as well as my dad.
“We’re always going to miss them both terribly.”
Susanna Reid pays tearful tribute following death of John Stapleton
Today on ITV, morning show presenters took a moment to pay their own tributes to John.
Good Morning Britain began with a tribute to John, with a visibly emotional Susanna Reid saying: “We go on air this morning on Good Morning Britain holding in our hearts the family of John Stapleton.
“He was a part of this programme’s history and a part of breakfast television history.”
Co-host Richard Madeley added: “He was a major figure at the BBC and a major figure at ITV. He was huge.”
Fighting back tears, Susanna then said: “We will be remembering John throughout the programme.
“We were lucky enough to interview John last year, when he described in his own words, coming out about his Parkinson’s diagnosis. He was so incredibly positive.”
She wrapped it up by praising John’s “warmth and wit”, adding that broadcasting has “lost a legend”.
Lorraine Kelly makes emotional statement following death of John Stapleton
Presenter Lorraine Kelly paid her own tribute to John at the start of her show.
“Everyone here, we’ve all obviously been sharing memories and talking about John,” she said. “And you know that in television, there are people who, particularly on this side of the camera, are not friendly and who don’t know the names of their crew.
“But [John] knew everybody. He had time for everybody. And you know what, even when he came on, when he had Parkinson’s, like I said, there was no self-pity there,” she added.
“He approached it very journalistically. Wanted to find out more. And then the campaigning side came out, and he wanted to make sure that people were more aware. ‘Yes, let’s fundraise. Let’s get to the bottom of this disease. Let’s sort it out.”
Choked with emotion, she ended the tribute by calling him a “wonderful, wonderful man”.
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