Newsreader Gordon Honeycombe dies aged 79

Gordon Honeycombe has died in Australia aged 79. News of Gordon's death came from his close friend Adrian Momber who had been visiting him every day and who was with him when he passed away. Gordon had recently celebrated his birthday but had been ill for some time. As his health declined he spent a few weeks in a specialist care home, but was alert and doing crosswords up to the very end. In his last message to family and friends Gordon wrote "Don’t be disheartened – just remember that I have been blessed to have been part of your life, and you of mine. All is well."

Gordon Honeycombe joined TV-am in 1984 to help beef up the news service. He was a daily face for five years reading seven bulletins a shift. He presided over some of the biggest stories of the 1980s such as the Miners' Strike, Piper Alpha and Lockerbie. In 1986 he wrote TV-am's Official Celebration of the Royal Wedding book, marking the marriage of Prince Andrew to Sarah Ferguson. Roland Rat affectionately referred to him as 'Gordon Beeswax'.

Gordon eventually decided to leave TV-am in 1989 to start a new life in Australia. Before he left he spotted the talents of a young Lisa Aziz who had often deputised for him in the newsreader's chair. He suggested Lisa should be his replacement and she got the job. Paying tribute on Twitter Lisa said Gordon was "wonderful...huge shoes to fill...a real pro...funny too." Gordon Honeycome will be remembered by TV-am colleagues for his authority, intelligence, wonderful sense of humour and great kindness. Viewers will remember his good looks and the deep tones and clarity of his news reading voice.
Published on 9th October 2015 at 15:50:08 by Ian White

Comments
Paul Dazeley, 9th October 2015 at 18:24:35:
A truly wonderful and honest journalist of immense stature with a voice and gravitas to match, sad that we are not going to see his like again, He will be greatly missed.
Stephen Freestone, 9th October 2015 at 18:25:17:
Another face (and voice - what a voice) I grew up with, gone. RIP.
Shane Stevens, 10th October 2015 at 00:44:04:
I was fortune enough to know Gordon personally for many years and a more caring individual you'd be hard to find. He was a true Gent in all senses of the term. Although I've not seen him for many years, apart from when he returned to the Uk for holidays, we always kept in touch.
A very sad loss and will be missed by all who knew him.
Deborah Fosbrook, 12th October 2015 at 07:40:14:
I am very sorry to hear of the passing of Gordon Honeycombe who I knew as a colleague at TVam. Gordon Honeycombe deserves to be honoured and recognised for the stature which he achieved as a newsreader and the contribution which he made to reporting many historic news stories. I knew Gordon Honeycombe when I was Company Secretary and Head of Legal and Business Affairs for many years at Tvam and its subsidiaries. Gordon Honeycombe was valued and well respected by Bruce Gyngell and the members of the Tvam News subsidiary. As well as the then Independent Broadcasting Authority for his authority and ability. He provided a gravitas and personality to the news coverage. There were many occasions where he had to cover news stories which were of national importance. He had the skill to communicate with the public and to show respect to the content of each story. He wrote Nagazaki 1945 of which he was very proud. A life well lived. RIP