Legendary ITV News presenter Sandy Gall dies aged 97
The veteran broadcaster and journalist Sandy Gall has died aged 97, his family has confirmed.
Gall became one of the most familiar faces in the country, firstly as a foreign correspondent for ITN, before becoming co-presenter of News at Ten.
His family revealed he died at his home in Kent on Sunday, and paid tribute to him saying: 'His was a great life, generously and courageously lived.'
Gall's career in journalism spanned more than 50 years, starting in 1952 when he joined the Aberdeen Press and Journal. Gall became a household name as co-presenter of News at Ten / Credit: ITV News
He then worked at Reuters news agency for ten years as a foreign correspondent, before joining ITN in 1963.
It was at ITN where he was to become a household name in the UK, until his retirement from the broadcaster in 1992.
One of his first assignments with ITN was in Dallas, Texas just hours after the assassination of President Kennedy. Sandy Gall reporting on the Soviet-Afghan War in 1989. / Credit: ITV News
His time at ITN saw him cover some of the 20th century's biggest stories, such as the Vietnam War, the Soviet-Afghan War and America's civil rights movement, where he interviewed Martin Luther King in 1965.
He was also one of the few journalists to remain in Vietnam after the victory of the North Vietnamese to cover the fall of Saigon in 1975.
Paying tribute, his former colleague at ITN John Suchet said: 'One of the loveliest things about Sandy was that he was really happy to pass on his knowledge to us juniors, who were desperate to do well.
'A gentleman, a true gentleman, that's what the obits will say about him.
'His name will always be associated with those big stories the fall of Saigon, the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
'Things move on but when the history books are written, his name will be there.' Sandy Gall interviewing Martin Luther King Jr. in 1965. / Credit: ITV News
Gall went on to co-present News At Ten in 1970, which was then the UK's most watched news programme.
He made his final presenting appearance on News at Ten in 1991, before returning to work with the company as a special reporter until his final retirement in 1992.
He later became the founder and chairman of Sandy Gall's Afghanistan Appeal, a charity for disabled Afghans that ran for nearly 40 years. It began with a focus on treating Afghans with war-related casualties and land mine victims, as well as children in refugee camps.
This focus widened, as the rehabilitation needs of many other people with disabilities became apparent.
Sandy was awarded a CBE in 1987 and Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 2011.
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Wales Online
19 hours ago
- Wales Online
Tributes paid as journalist and TV presenter Sandy Gall dies aged 97
Tributes paid as journalist and TV presenter Sandy Gall dies aged 97 His journalism career spanned more than 50 years and he was a renowned foreign correspondent for ITN and the face of ITV's News At Ten from 1963 until 1992. Sandy Gall reported from Vietnam and Afghanistan (Image: PA Archive/PA Images ) Journalist Sandy Gall has been praised as a "giant and a gentleman" after his death at the age of 97. His journalism career spanned more than 50 years and he was a renowned foreign correspondent for ITN and the face of ITV's News At Ten from 1963 until 1992. His family revealed that he died at his home in Kent on Sunday, and said: "His was a great life, generously and courageously lived." Gall covered major events such as the assassination of US president John F Kennedy, the civil rights movement and the Lockerbie disaster, after entering journalism as a reporter for the Aberdeen Press and Journal in 1952. Tom Bradby, lead anchor of News At Ten, said: "He had, as a foreign correspondent, been there and done everything. "As a trainee walking through the doors of ITN 35 years ago, I was one of many young would-be reporters he inspired. Article continues below "His old-world charm and on-screen presence endeared him to so many viewers and so many of us. "He was a giant and a gentleman of our business. Everyone loved Sandy." Sir Trevor McDonald, former News At Ten presenter, said: "I think Sandy Gall was one of the most brilliant journalists out there. "And, around his work, ITN was able to build an enormous reputation. "He travelled the world, he covered wars, he covered political upheavals, and what he said, people believed. "He gave ITN and News At Ten its credibility. When Sandy Gall said something, everyone believed it." During his time as a foreign correspondent, Gall covered the arrival of the US into the Vietnam War in 1965, and the end of the conflict when the North Vietnamese army entered Saigon in 1975. Despite becoming a news presenter in 1970, he continued to report first-hand, spending weeks travelling on horseback to follow the Mujahideen in their guerilla war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. After his retirement in 1992, he founded and became chairman of Sandy Gall's Afghanistan Appeal, a charity for disabled Afghans that helped war-related casualties, as well as children in refugee camps, for nearly 40 years. He was made a CBE in 1987 and Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 2011. Tom Tugendhat MP said: "Quite simply, a hero. "Sandy Gall told the stories we needed to hear and kept up with those whose lives he had brought to our notice. Article continues below "My condolences go to Carlotta Gall and the whole family. He was a legend to many, and a father to a lucky few."
STV News
a day ago
- STV News
Legendary ITV News presenter Sandy Gall dies aged 97
ITV News Europe Editor James Mates looks back at Sandy Gall's legendary career The veteran broadcaster and journalist Sandy Gall has died aged 97, his family has confirmed. Gall became one of the most familiar faces in the country, firstly as a foreign correspondent for ITN, before becoming co-presenter of News at Ten. His family revealed he died at his home in Kent on Sunday, and paid tribute to him saying: 'His was a great life, generously and courageously lived.' Gall's career in journalism spanned more than 50 years, starting in 1952 when he joined the Aberdeen Press and Journal. Gall became a household name as co-presenter of News at Ten / Credit: ITV News He then worked at Reuters news agency for ten years as a foreign correspondent, before joining ITN in 1963. It was at ITN where he was to become a household name in the UK, until his retirement from the broadcaster in 1992. One of his first assignments with ITN was in Dallas, Texas just hours after the assassination of President Kennedy. Sandy Gall reporting on the Soviet-Afghan War in 1989. / Credit: ITV News His time at ITN saw him cover some of the 20th century's biggest stories, such as the Vietnam War, the Soviet-Afghan War and America's civil rights movement, where he interviewed Martin Luther King in 1965. He was also one of the few journalists to remain in Vietnam after the victory of the North Vietnamese to cover the fall of Saigon in 1975. Paying tribute, his former colleague at ITN John Suchet said: 'One of the loveliest things about Sandy was that he was really happy to pass on his knowledge to us juniors, who were desperate to do well. 'A gentleman, a true gentleman, that's what the obits will say about him. 'His name will always be associated with those big stories the fall of Saigon, the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. 'Things move on but when the history books are written, his name will be there.' Sandy Gall interviewing Martin Luther King Jr. in 1965. / Credit: ITV News Gall went on to co-present News At Ten in 1970, which was then the UK's most watched news programme. He made his final presenting appearance on News at Ten in 1991, before returning to work with the company as a special reporter until his final retirement in 1992. He later became the founder and chairman of Sandy Gall's Afghanistan Appeal, a charity for disabled Afghans that ran for nearly 40 years. It began with a focus on treating Afghans with war-related casualties and land mine victims, as well as children in refugee camps. This focus widened, as the rehabilitation needs of many other people with disabilities became apparent. Sandy was awarded a CBE in 1987 and Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 2011. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Metro
2 days ago
- Metro
Legendary News at Ten presenter Sandy Gall dies aged 97
Sandy Gall, a legendary presenter on News at Ten, has died at the age of 97. The veteran broadcaster died at his home in Kent on Sunday, his family has confirmed. Their tribute read: 'His was a great life, generously and courageously lived.' Gall was arguably one of the most familiar faces on British TV with a career spanning five decades. He started out in 1952 at the Aberdeen Press and Journal before a ten-year stint at Reuters. In 1963, he joined Independent News Television (ITN), where he remained until his retirement from journalism in 1992. Gall – whose real name was Henderson Alexander Gall – started strong at ITN, as one of his first assignments saw him head to Dallas, Texas, just hours after the assassination of President Kennedy. From there, he fronted coverage on some of history's biggest events. His work as a foreign reporter and troubleshooter took him to Afghanistan, Africa, China, the Far East, the Middle East, and Vietnam. In 1965, he presented coverage on the American civil rights movement and interviewed world-famous activist Martin Luther King Jr. Then, in 1970, Gall started hosting ITV's News at Ten, which, at the time, was the most-watched news programme in the UK. His final presenting appearance came in January 1991, but he returned as a special reporter for 12 months before retiring properly. Following retirement, Gall worked as a freelancer for television and written journalism from 1993 onwards. Projects during this time included his 1995 ITV documentary Network First: The Man Who Saved the Animals and presenting BBC Radio 4's travel programme Breakaway, plus BBC Radio 2's The Empty Quarter. Overall, Gall's career saw him lead reports on some of the most defining stories of the 20th century, such as Prince Charles and Princess Diana's wedding and the 1980 United States presidential election. In the early 2000s, he also worked with Channel 5 on reports from Afghanistan. Away from screens, Gall founded and became the chairman of Sandy Gall's Afghanistan Appeal, a charity for disabled Afghans. The organisation was founded alongside his wife in 1986, and it ran for 22 years. More Trending In 2020, a statement on its website confirmed 'with sadness' that the charity would be closing down, partly due to a lack of long-term funding, but also because Gall felt the charity had 'achieved many of its original objectives'. Throughout its time, the organisation assisted thousands of Afghans with disabilities. This included training Afghan professionals to provide artificial limbs and other mobility aids for more than 25,000 people, plus physiotherapy treatment for over 60,000 patients. In his personal life, Gall, who was awarded a CBE in 1987, married Eleanor Smyth in 1958. She died in 2018. He is survived by a son, Alexander, and three daughters named Carlotta, Fiona, and Michaela. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. View More » MORE: Big Coronation Street and Emmerdale news confirmed as ITV issue statement MORE: ITV Coronation Street issues 'be vigilant' warning to soap fans using social media MORE: Legendary ITV star 'can't shake off' role in show watched by 25 million viewers a night
