Overview
- His son, Darren, confirmed Monday that Stannage, 76, died at Manchester Royal Infirmary after a year-long cancer battle.
- Darren said his father died peacefully at 11:52 am, listening to The Who and surrounded by loved ones.
- Stannage rose in the mid-1970s with a blunt late-night phone-in and became a fixture on Piccadilly Radio and later Key 103.
- His confrontational shows drew repeated penalties from Ofcom, the UK broadcast regulator, including a £125,000 fine in 2005 after he read on-air jokes about Ken Bigley’s death.
- Fans and former colleagues, including Paul Smith, Mike Toolan and Steve Penk, paid tribute to his influence and recalled his guidance for younger presenters.