SA mourns the passing of radio personality Jeremy Mansfield

RADIO personality Jeremy Mansfield has passed away after a battle with cancer.

Diagnosed earlier this year with stage-four liver cancer, the celebrity was 59 years old when he died on the morning of Monday, October 31.

Samantha Cowen, his close friend, announced his death on social media earlier this morning.

ALSO READ: The Valley Trust’s business breakfast aims to fight hunger

She wrote, “This morning, a light went out in the world. Jeremy Mansfield passed away just before dawn. He died peacefully at home surrounded by family and friends and boundless love.”

Tributes have poured in, paying respect to the radio legend who hailed from the Eastern Cape. He commanded the airwaves at stations like Radio 702, Highveld Stereo and recently Hot 102.7FM, in a career spanning more than three decades.

The high standards he attained were recognised at a community radio awards ceremony, held in Sandton in 2019. Mansfield and his team won Community Radio category awards for the Best Breakfast Show, Best Content Production, Best Breakfast Show Production and Best Breakfast Show Presenter at the Liberty Radio Awards.

Hot 102.7FM, the radio station where Mansfield worked before embarking on a sabbatical in 2021, honoured the former ‘jock’. Managing director of the station Lloyd Madurai said Mansfield changed the radio landscape in the country and became the benchmark for radio professionals who followed in his footsteps.

ALSO READ: Canoeist makes South Africa proud

He appeared on SABC, M-Net and Supersport, authored several books (including an award-winning cookery book) and hosted a YouTube talk show called Mansfield2day.

This was the second cancer diagnosis for the radio legend, as he was successfully treated for leukaemia in the past. Mansfield announced on social media, on August 5, the confirmation of his terminal cancer and palliative care prognosis, by his specialist surgeon.

He went on to write, “This dream team (as I now refer to them) will now guide me through how to have as much fun in the time I have left and fulfil as many dreams, big and small, I have on my bucket list. A new journey for Kari and the rest of our families starts today.”

Cowen said in this morning’s statement that the family asks for privacy at this time.

Mansfield’s mother passed away earlier this year on August 15, which was his 59^th birthday. He is survived by his daughter and partner.

For more from the Highway Mail, follow us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also follow us on Instagram