Veteran journalist Rod Liddle dies at 66 after illness

Veteran British journalist and broadcaster Rod Liddle has died at the age of 66 following a short illness. His death was announced on Monday, August 3, 2026, by his employer, News UK. Liddle died on Sunday evening at The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

A prominent columnist for The Sunday Times and The Sun, Liddle was also a presenter on Times Radio and had a weekly column in The Spectator. His career spanned decades, beginning as a news reporter for the South Wales Echo in Cardiff. He later worked as a Labour Party researcher and speechwriter before studying social psychology at the London School of Economics and joining the BBC as a trainee producer.

In 1998, Liddle was appointed editor of BBC Radio 4's flagship Today programme, a role that placed him at the center of British current affairs. His tenure there later became linked to controversy surrounding reporter Andrew Gilligan's 2003 claims about the government's Iraq War dossier, though Liddle had left the BBC before the report was broadcast.

News of his passing prompted tributes from colleagues and family. In a statement issued by News UK, his children Wilder, Tyler and Emmy said they were "very saddened...