Wogan’s brogue is broadcast as stars pay tribute in Abbey
THE unforgettable Irish brogue of Sir Terry Wogan was brought to life again during a thanksgiving service at which a galaxy of stars praised the remarkable life of the long-serving broadcaster.
The Radio 2 presenter and television chat show host, who also presented Children In Need, died in January from cancer aged 77.
Fellow broadcaster Chris Evans said he “will always be the best” in a moving tribute at a thanksgiving service in Westminster Abbey, London, which opened with recordings from Sir Terry’s archive.
Evans, who over his Radio 2 breakfast show, explained: “Terry Wogan wasn’t the best. He is the best and he will always be the best.” Sir Terry’s children, Alan Wogan, Mark Wogan and Katherine Cripps, who were present with Sir Terry’s widow Helen – known to radio listeners as “Lady Helen” – paid tribute to their father’s “love of our mother, his children and grandchildren”, “his true understanding of charity”, his “empathy and selfless wisdom”, his gentleness and “his love of people”.
Katie Melua, who made her name with the help of Sir Terry, and Peter Gabriel sang at the event.
The stars present included included Dermot O’Leary, Claudia Winkleman, Fearne Cotton, Tess Daly, Joanna Lumley, Gloria Hunniford, Jimmy Carr, Eamonn Holmes, Ruth Langsford, Matt Baker and Jo Whiley.
Strictly Come Dancing co-host Winkleman said afterwards: “I thought the service was beautiful.”
The event included tributes from Sir Terry’s children and a poem especially co-written for the occasion by actress Lumley, in which she compared Sir Terry’s voice to “an aural, newly ripened peach”.
It ended with The Floral Dance, which was a hit for Sir Terry in 1978.
The BBC Concert Orchestra performed at the event, where Sir Terry was described as “a legend in his own lifetime”.
The congregation was asked to donate to one of Sir Terry’s most beloved causes – Children In Need.
BBC director-general Tony Hall paid tribute, saying Sir Terry was most proud of his work for Children In Need – he fronted the main appeal show from its inception in 1980 to 2014.
He also spoke of the broadcaster’s “numerous” and “memorable” Eurovision quips, adding: “My own favourite comes from 2007, when he announced as the coverage began: ‘Who knows what hellish future lies ahead? Actually I do, I’ve seen the rehearsals!’”
He called Sir Terry a “national treasure” and thanked him “for giving us so much sheer unalloyed joy”.
Ken Bruce read WB Yeats’s The Song Of Wandering Aengus at the service, which marks the 50th anniversary of Sir Terry’s first radio broadcast for the BBC.