Henry Kelly facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Henry Kelly
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Kelly hosting After Dark, 1988
|
|
| Born |
Patrick Henry Kelly
17 April 1946 Athlone, County Westmeath, Ireland
|
| Died | 25 February 2025 (aged 78) |
| Alma mater | University College Dublin |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1968–2015 |
| Spouse(s) | Marjorie Conway (divorced) |
| Partner(s) | Karolyn Shindler |
| Children | 2 |
Patrick Henry Kelly (born April 17, 1946 – died February 25, 2025), known to many as Henry Kelly, was a well-known Irish radio and television presenter. He was also a journalist who worked mainly in the United Kingdom.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Henry Kelly was born in Dublin, Ireland, on April 17, 1946. He grew up in a town called Athlone in County Westmeath. He went to school at Belvedere College and later studied at University College Dublin. While at university, he was in charge of the Literary and Historical Society. He also wrote reviews about plays for The Irish Times newspaper.
Career as a Journalist
After finishing his English degree in 1968, Henry Kelly started working as a journalist for The Irish Times. In 1970, he became the Northern Editor, based in Belfast. This was at the beginning of a difficult time in Northern Ireland known as The Troubles. He held this important job for five years. During this time, he wrote a book called How Stormont Fell (1972), which is still highly respected today.
In 1976, he left The Irish Times and moved to London. There, he worked for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on their Radio 4 program, The World Tonight.
Television Career
In 1980, when he was 34, Henry Kelly decided to change his career. He stopped working as a print journalist and started presenting television shows. He was inspired by his friend Terry Wogan, who was very successful on the BBC.
In 1981, Kelly became a co-presenter on the ITV show Game for a Laugh. This show was very popular and made him famous across the country. He stayed with the show until 1983. In June 1983, Kelly joined TV-am and co-hosted the Saturday morning show Good Morning Britain with Toni Arthur. He also filled in for other presenters and hosted Summer Sunday.
From 1987 to 1996, he presented Going for Gold on BBC1. This was a popular lunchtime quiz show where contestants from different European countries competed. In 1988, he briefly returned to journalism to host an episode of After Dark called "Derry '68". He had previously discussed the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association on the show, as he had seen their activities firsthand as a journalist.
In 2000, he appeared as a quiz show host in the last two episodes of the TV comedy dinnerladies. He had worked with the show's creator, Victoria Wood, before. He also sometimes appeared on Sky News to talk about the Sunday newspapers.
Radio Career
In 1992, Henry Kelly was one of the first presenters on Classic FM. He first hosted the mid-morning show, and later the Breakfast Show. He left in 2003 but returned between 2006 and 2008 to present a Sunday morning show.
In September 2003, Kelly started hosting the Drivetime show on LBC 97.3, a London news and talk radio station. He later presented a Saturday mid-morning show for BBC Radio Berkshire until 2015.
Other Work and Interests
In 2013, Henry Kelly appeared in a series of video advertisements for a car dealership. He also narrated many "Driver's Eye Views" videos about Irish railways for Video 125.
Henry Kelly enjoyed playing golf. In 1994, he won the first William Roache Charity Classic Invitational golf tournament at Woburn.
Personal Life and Passing
Henry Kelly was in a relationship with journalist Karolyn Shindler, and they lived in Hampstead, North London. He had a daughter from an earlier marriage to Marjorie Conway, which ended in divorce. He also had a son with Karolyn Shindler.
Henry Kelly passed away on February 25, 2025, at the age of 78.
