Australian radio star John Blackman has died aged 76 after a harrowing battle with cancer and surgery to remove his jaw.
The Hey Hey It’s Saturday announcer passed away after a heart attack on Tuesday, The Morning Show’s celebrity reporter Peter Ford revealed.
He is survived by his wife Cecile, who he married in December 1972, and his daughter Tiffany, 28.
The legendary broadcaster had a hugely successful radio career spanning around 50 years, but was best known for his character voices on the long-running variety TV show.
Blackman’s death comes just months after he opened up about his gruelling cancer battle, which saw him undergo a 12-hour operation in 2018 to remove his jaw.
In 2022, Blackman faced a second battle when he was diagnosed with brain cancer, which was removed with a six-hour operation that left a titanium mesh plate in his head.
Australian radio star John Blackman has died aged 76 after a harrowing battle with cancer and surgery to remove his jaw
Not long before his death, Blackman was thought to have been told he had to undergo more surgery this year after his cancer had returned.
Ford paid tribute to the ‘incredible’ radio legend on The Morning Show and told how Blackman had passed away at his home after going for a rest.
‘John had got home and was having a rest in the afternoon yesterday. He came out to the kitchen and said to Cecile “I’m not feeling so great. I’ll just had a sit down on the couch”,’ Ford shared.
‘He told me last week that this Monday, he was to go in for more surgery because something had returned and he wasn’t thrilled about that,’ he went on.
The Hey Hey It’s Saturday announcer passed away after a heart attack on Tuesday, according to The Morning Show’s celebrity reporter Peter Ford
‘But I was told it wasn’t the cancer that had taken him. His wife Cecil called them this morning to share the news.’
He went on to praise the voiceover artist for keeping his sense of humour throughout his difficult cancer battle and paid tribute to the ‘beautiful performer’.
‘Australia is a sadder place with this news breaking now. John was an incredible man, he was a beautiful performer on radio and television. In recent years he has put up this incredible cancer fight,’ he said.
‘His cancer battle that saw them take away a major part of his jaw. He still got out and about and he would find a way to laugh at things.
‘If anyone was disarmed when they saw his appearance, he would make them comfortable straight away. He had the ability to relax you and let you have a laugh.’
Blackman’s death comes just months after he opened up about his gruelling cancer battle, which saw him undergo a 12-hour operation in 2018 to remove his jaw
The Morning Show host Larry Emdur recalled how the ‘special and caring’ radio star made him feel welcome as a young host when they worked together on Hey Hey It’s Saturday.
‘I got, I got to fill in for Darryl Summers plenty of times doing, Hey, Hey, and I, I remember the first time because it was the biggest show on TV,’ he shared.
‘For a young host, it was the scariest place to be. John just walked straight across the studio floor to me and he said “don’t worry, mate, I got you”.
‘If you ever watched him and you could see that he was very much the skeleton, the backbone that kept the show going.
‘There were just moments when you’d stop or something would happen and he was just in there with a gag or with a funny voice or something.
‘He was a very special and caring man. That’s incredibly special in this business of ours.’
Not long before his death, Blackman was thought to have been told he had to return to hospital for more surgery this year after his cancer had returned
Blackman’s Hey Hey It’s Saturday co-star Marty Fields also paid tribute to his friend as he described him as a ‘radio pioneer’ in a touching message.
‘So sad at the passing of my old mate John Blackman. He was a master voice over announcer, live act and incredible radio pioneer,’ he said.
‘His work at 3AW breakfast and of course as the wonderful booth announcer on Hey Hey. Love to Cecile and his family. A massive loss. Vale buddy.’
Former Senator of Australia and TV host Derryn Hinch added: ‘Shocked and saddened by death of John Blackman. He handled his illnesses so bravely. We had some huge rows but he was the fastest ad lib man ever. Vale.’
His beloved fans were also quick to take to social media to pay tribute to the radio legend and thank him for gracing their screens with his famous sense of humour.
The legendary broadcaster has worked in the media since 1969 and had a successful career in radio, but was arguably best known for doing character voices on Hey Hey It’s Saturday
Blackman’s Hey Hey It’s Saturday co-star Marty Fields paid tribute to his friend as he described him as a ‘radio pioneer’ in a touching message
One said: ‘Thanks for so many laughs, John. My childhood was richer because of you. Vale John Blackman.’
‘RIP John Blackman,’ another wrote, while a third added: ‘RIP John Blackman condolences to the family.’
A fourth penned: ‘Thoughts and prayers to family and friends of John Blackman. RIP. So sad to hear his passing, the laughs have stopped for a while.’
Earlier this year, Blackman bravely opened up about his cancer battle and harrowing surgery, which saw his jaw removed.
The presenter was first diagnosed with a severe case of skin cancer known as a basal cell carcinoma in August 2018.
The ‘really aggressive’ cancer was discovered on a routine trip to his doctor to see about an inflamed pimple.
Later that same year, Blackman had a massive 12-hour operation to remove the cancerous growth on his mouth, and his jaw was substituted with a portion of his thigh bone.
In January 2024, he told how his life changed after the operation, which removed the cancerous tumour but meant he couldn’t work in front of a microphone again.
‘When I went to my surgeon to get the results of the test he said, “Look, John, your life is going to change completely from now on”,’ he told the Herald Sun.
‘Professionally, financially, emotionally, it is never going to be the same again. You will never work in front of a mic again.’
He bravely told how the gruelling operation couldn’t rob him of his well-known sense of humour despite changing his career.
‘Everything the surgeon said has come true. Even now talking to you, it is painful. I can’t do what I love,’ Blackman went on.
‘Thankfully, I still have my sense of humour, they did not remove that.’
Just years after his first surgery, Blackman faced a second battle in 2022 when he was diagnosed with brain cancer and had to undergo another life-saving operation.
Another growth had sprouted ‘in a crater’, a result of one of the removal procedures, and started to move towards his brain.
In 2018, Blackman had a 12-hour operation to remove a cancerous growth on his mouth and jaw, while he was later diagnosed with brain cancer in 2022 and had another surgery (pictured with wife Cecile)
Blackman admitted the cancer could have ‘killed’ him and he had a six-hour surgery to remove the ‘aggressive’ tumour and was left with a titanium mesh plate in his head.
‘That was the one that could have actually killed me, because it was a very aggressive cancer (Squamous Cell Carcinoma) that was growing right on the top of my noggin,’ he said.
Blackman first started his career in the media back in 1969 and went on to become a household name on Australia’s airwaves.
He went from working in sales to launching his radio career at the age of 22 and first worked at 2GN Goulburn as an announcer, newsreader, copy writer and salesman.
Blackman went on to secure a gig at 2CA Canberra before joining 3AW in Melbourne as an evening announcer alongside Reverend Alex Kenworthy on Nightline.
He later moved to Sydney and worked as a staff continuity announcer and daytime newsreader at National Nine News’ program TCN-9.
In 2022, Blackman faced a second battle when he was diagnosed with brain cancer and had to undergo another life-saving operation
Then came his famous move to Hey Hey It’s Saturday, where he worked as an announcer and doing the character voices on the show for its entire 28-year run.
Blackman became famous for his rapid-fire wit, incredible sense of humour and hilarious punchlines.
He voiced legendary characters including Angel, Mrs Macgillicuddy, Alfred Desk Mike and Charlie Who, among many more, as he won over legions of fans.
The long-running program was on screens from 1971 until 1999, and went on to have a string of brief relaunches in the early noughties, which Blackman returned for.
Blackman also lent his famous voice to the Hey Hey It’s 100 Years special, which aired in Victoria and South Australia in April 2022.
Hey Hey It’s Saturday was hit by controversy in recent years when Kandiah ‘Kamahl’ Kamalesvaran claimed he was targeted by a series of racist jokes on the program.
On Hey Hey It’s Saturday, Blackman (left) voiced legendary characters including Angel, Mrs Macgillicuddy, Alfred Desk Mike and Charlie Who as he won over legions of fans
He said the most offensive skit happened in 1984 when a stage hand covered his face in white powder before presenter Blackman called out off-screen: ‘You’re a real white man now, Kamahl, you know that?’
Blackman was also well-known for his role as a breakfast show presenter on 3AW alongside Bruce Mansfield, in what was considered to be one of Australia’s most successful radio pairings.
After leaving 3AW, he had a seven-year hiatus from radio before returning to 3AK Melbourne as a breakfast show host alongside Anna Pinkus and Denis Donoghue.
Blackman also went on to feature on a string of panel shows including Family Feud, Blankety Blanks and Personality Squares.
His other radio highlights included working on Triple M Adelaide, MAGIC 12778 and Coodabeen Champions on 3UZ.
WHAT IS BASAL CELL CARCINOMA?
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a type of non-melanoma skin cancer.
Non-melanoma means it does not involve skin pigment cells.
BCC often appears as scabs that bleed
BCC makes up more than 80 per cent of all forms of skin cancer in the UK and US.
About 5.4 million basal and squamous cell skin cancers are diagnosed each year in the US and around 100,000 in the UK.
It is mainly caused by overexposure to UV light from the sun or tanning beds.
BCC can occur anywhere on the body but is most common on areas exposed to the sun, such as the face, neck and ears.
The following people are most at risk:
- People with fair skin or hair
- Those who work outdoors
- People who use sunbeds
- Those with a personal history of the condition
BCC is usually painless. Early symptoms often only include a scab that bleeds occasionally and does not heal.
Some appear as flat, red, scaly marks or have a pearl-like rim. The latter can then erode into a ulcer.
Others are lumpy with shiny nodules crossed by blood vessels.
Most BCCs can be cured, however, treatment is complex if they are left for a long time.
Treatment usually involves removing the cancerous tumour and some of the surrounding skin.
Source: British Skin Foundation and NHS Choices