U.K.: Tributes have been paid to Australian TV presenter Jonathan Coleman who has died aged 65.
Coleman was diagnosed with prostate cancer four years ago and died on Friday night with his wife and children by his side, a statement from his family said.
About Coleman, his wife Margot said: “Jono and I have been soulmates for close to 40 years. We have been fortunate to live a rich and wonderful life and I have been lucky enough to watch up-close someone with enormous talent and the special gift to make people laugh.”
She also wrote that Coleman had hoped to be remembered for “doing a good deed every day”, adding, “Such was the generosity and caring nature of the love of my life.”
On Twitter, the presenter’s son Oscar posted a photo of himself and Coleman with their arms around each other.
Born in Hackney, London, on 29 February 1956, Coleman was known best as Jono.
He first appeared on TV screens in 1979 when he moved to Australia, and soon after featured on various radio stations.
He later spent 16 years in the UK where he presented the Russ and Jono Show with Russell Williams on Virgin Radio in the 1990s, as also other programmes on BBC Radio London and Heart 106.2, reported BBC.
Later he returned to Australia, living in Sydney for the rest of his life, where he most recently presented news and entertainment reports on Network Ten.
Tributes to Jono
BBC Radio London paid tribute, tweeting: “Our thoughts are with Jono’s wife Margot and his children today.”
Among others to pay tribute was his former fellow presenter Williams, writing about Coleman, he said working together had been the “best of times and right now it feels like the worst of times”.
Radio and television presenter Jeremy Vine described him as a “giant of radio”, while film star Russell Crowe tweeted that Coleman was a “lovely man”.
