Danny Kelly: Tottenham, Simon Jordan and Laura Woods among thousands to pay tribute

Tributes for Danny Kelly have flooded in from far and wide following the tragic news of his death. On Wednesday morning, it was announced that beloved broadcaster and talkSPORT presenter Danny had sadly passed away , aged 69. He was one of the most recognisable, respected and engaging voices across our network, having joined the team in 2007. Danny stepped away from the mic in March following a throat cancer diagnosis and, during his last appearance, he urged men to go out and get themselves checked in what was an emotional message. Like music, football was a massive passion of his, with Danny being a huge fan of Premier League giants Spurs . His love of the game was clear for all to see in October 2008 as Aaron Lennon scored a last-gasp equaliser against their north London rivals Arsenal in the iconic 4-4 draw. “I love football, Stan. I love it,” he cried, and Spurs have offered their respect to Danny with a heartfelt post on social media. Tottenham tribute to Danny Kelly “The entire Tottenham family mourns the loss of one of our own, broadcasting legend Danny Kelly,” they said. “Our thoughts and love are with his family and friends at this incredibly sad time. Rest in peace, Danny.” talkSPORT’s announcement on X drew in more than one thousand replies from listeners and fans of Danny to pay respect, a testament to his legacy. Simon Jordan offered his own tribute on White and Jordan , and in doing so, he revealed his admiration for Danny. “I knew Danny very well. He was a brilliant broadcaster, a brilliant editor, a brilliant writer. He was a brilliant friend. “The reasons why I’m able to broadcast and occupy the space I’m in now are because I worked with Danny. When I came here and started working with you guys, it was with Danny. “Danny nurtured me and developed me, and corralled me, and persuaded me, and educated me, and censored me in equal measure.” Danny Murphy worked alongside the broadcasting icon on Kick Off for talkSPORT, and he said: “Warm, charismatic, funny… so funny. He could make a really serious moment lighthearted. “And educational, he had a story about everyone and everything, he met everybody there is to know. Every time someone famous got brought up, he’d tell a little anecdote about when he met them and talked to them, and he was just always engaging to listen to. “It was a pleasure to work with him over the years, I didn’t realise how knowledgeable he was not just on music, but football as well. He loved his football, and that came through in abundance.” Former Breakfast host Laura Woods also joined the show, and recalled how much Danny helped her during a difficult moment in her career. “You don’t meet a lot of broadcasters that will really be informed and interested in your own career, he was interested in mine and he was so caring.” Woods added: “When I got the Breakfast show, it was in COVID and it was a really tough time for everyone. I felt it a lot, I really felt like I needed an ear, I was struggling to get to grips with the job and, for a little while, I didn’t think I was right for it. “Danny messaged me, and he was like, ‘How’s it going? How are you? Are you okay? Are you getting enough sleep?’ And I said, ‘No!’ He went, ‘Right, call me after the show tomorrow and we’ll have a chat’. “I remember that call, and it was exactly what I needed. It was just an ear at a time where I needed guidance from this great man. I felt like I always had that at talkSPORT, and he was like that for all of us. “It didn’t matter who you were, you were part of his little family if you worked anywhere near him. If you were in touching distance of Danny Kelly, he was your guidance.” Many of Danny’s talkSPORT colleagues also paid their respects on social media, with chief football correspondent Alex Crook saying: “This is so sad. Danny was a great broadcaster and a brilliant colleague and friend. “Had a wonderful day with him watching Spurs’ last game at White Hart Lane. talkSPORT will never be quite the same again.” “Absolutely heartbroken to hear Danny Kelly has passed away,” added reporter Ian Abrahams. “One of the best broadcasters I’ve worked with. One of the most amazing, kindest, funny, passionate people I knew. “Danny, we’ll always have “I love Football”. I will miss you my friend, sleep well.” Stan Collymore also gave a lengthy tribute to Danny, as he said: “This morning I was told of the passing of my good friend and colleague, Danny Kelly. “The tributes to him in the coming days from those who knew him and worked with him will give you an idea of how much he was loved. I loved him too. Very much so. “A man who I called “Dad” on air because I wished he was. I hope you give me a few minutes to read my thoughts, and I hope they do you justice, Dan. “By 2008 I was a mess. I would sleep 18 hours a day, the other 6 mostly wanting to die. Once or twice a week I would open my laptop, organise football tabs, gossip and news as prep for jobs in broadcasting that I knew would never come, “just in case”. “When hope dies, we die, after all. Then Danny Kelly came into my life. I was driving out of London having been to see a psychiatrist about the state I was in and had BBC London on the radio. “Danny was presenting with a guest, reviewing books. My name came up in the conversation, so I called in. We hit it off straight away, talked about football for what seemed like forever but was probably a standard 10-12 minute section. “But for me it sparked a temporary respite from sleep and chronic mental health issues and even for that I was grateful. A couple of years later Danny joined talkSPORT to do the 7-10pm slot through the week. “He told me he was offered a few co-presenters but he remembered that conversation we had and he wanted me to do it. A lifeline of work, passionately talking about our sport, having fun and feeling a value as a human again. “Something lost for 7 long years. Danny gifted me that. Without that I know I wouldn’t be writing this today. “Always fresh, never frozen” was the tagline in a Domino’s read we had to do in the show, something we’d instinctively greet each other with until our last meeting, in a pub, broadcasting for talkSPORT around 3 years ago. “I didn’t know that time would be the last, but perhaps fittingly we hugged as I left, I’m glad I did. The shows were loved. They were funny, honest, insightful and I hope, along with Saggers after that, proof that Danny’s belief in me was worthy. “But to say my love for him was only thanks for a job doesn’t even scratch the surface. “His kindness, his phone calls late at night (Dan was a notorious night owl) of support, his man hugs, his indomitable spirit, his big brain on anything from football to music to geopolitics, his love, as I know many others will testify, came from the biggest of hearts and the biggest of souls housed in a giant of a man in every sense. “Dan, thank you, thank you for the kindness, the fun, the hope, the support and for being someone to look up to and aspire to be. I love you very much, I know I’ll hug you again some day. Thank you for everything. ‘I love football Stan, I love it’.”