Steve Wright’s brother has claimed the late broadcaster died due to lifestyle choices and a poor diet.
Laurence Wright, 65, has broken his silence following the death of Steve earlier this week, dismissing claims his late sibling died “due to a broken heart” following his BBC Radio 2 afternoon slot being axed in 2022. However, Laurence says this wasn’t the case at all and his late brother was actually glad of the rest.
“He was aware that he could have looked after himself better, in his lifestyle choices. Obviously we all wish he had,” Laurence said today when discussing his brother’s passing. “It’s like anyone who doesn’t look after themselves over an extended period. The normal stuff – diet, nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress – he was a very stoic kind of guy as well so if he had something wrong with him and he had to go to have some treatment or go to the doctors, he wouldn’t talk about it.”
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He went on to tell the MailOnline: “That’s just how he was – that probably didn’t help really, because he wouldn’t have help or take advice necessarily.” Laurence continued to explain how Steve didn’t agree with the decision to ditch his weekday show almost two years ago, but he had needed a break.
Steve’s popular BBC Radio 2 show came to an end in September last year, with former Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills taking over the timeslot. Steve had hinted at the time that stopping the show wasn’t his choice, leading to many of his loyal listeners fuming at the BBC over the schedule shake-up.
Liz Kershaw, who also works at the BBC, recently claimed that she thinks the BBC just “dumped him” when they cancelled his show. She said on GB News: “I doubt that there was any follow-up, or any pastoral care, or any support for him. […] He didn’t need money as he has been one of the highest-paid people on air. But, you know, I wonder if they considered how it affected him.”
Even though his afternoon show ended, Steve kept working at the BBC and hosted Sunday Love Songs every weekend – with his final pre-recorded show airing on Sunday, just days before his death. Gary Farrow, a celebrity publicist and Steve’s long-time friend, shared earlier this week that Steve was really sad about having to leave his BBC Radio 2 afternoon show.
In an interview with The Sun, Gary described Steve’s devotion to his radio show: “Steve lived for that show, he absolutely loved it – and the listeners loved him. My view is that he died from a broken heart.” he said, admitting he’ll “never understand” why BBC decided to “let him go,” adding: “It devastated him.” He hinted Steve longed for additional support from the BBC which he felt his friend didn’t get. Gary went on to say that radio was truly Steve’s “life”.
Helen Thomas, the chief of BBC Radio 2, paid her respects to Steve on Wednesday. In her statement, she said: “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.”
Steve’s brother Laurence, a director of a company in the health industry, spoke today of the close bond he had with the late star, recalling how Steve stayed with him over the festive period along with their father and his sons. Speaking with the MailOnline, Laurence hinted Steve “could have done with a bit more balance” in his diet as he explained how his brother was fond of dining out.
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