TV and radio presenter Johnny Vaughan has announced the death of his father in a new Instagram post.
Vaughan, best known for his former role as host of raucous Channel 4 show The Big Breakfast, confirmed retired engineer Randal’s passing on Sunday morning.
Sharing a series of photos with social media followers, he wrote: ‘My Dearest Dad has gone and I’m so very sad.’
The presenter, 59, accompanied the message with a poignant quote from the much covered Broadway ballad I’ll Be Seeing You.
‘I will find you in the morning sun and when the night is new, I’ll be looking at the moon but I’ll be seeing you,’ it read.
Celebrity friends including Denise Van Outen, with whom he hosted The Big Breakfast between 1998 and 2001, were among the first to comment as he broke the news.
TV and radio presenter Johnny Vaughan has announced the death of his father in a new Instagram post
Vaughan, best known for his former role as host of raucous Channel 4 show The Big Breakfast, confirmed retired engineer Randal’s passing on Sunday morning
Responding to the post, she wrote: ‘Thinking of you Johnny. Sending you the biggest hug.’
Elsewhere, fellow TV presenter Kate Thornton added: ‘So sorry for your loss.’
While Kelly Brook, who replaced Van Outen on The Big Breakfast following her departure in 2001, wrote: ‘So sorry to hear this sending you all the love in the world.’
Presenter Richard Bacon also offered his condolences, adding: ‘I’m so sorry, Johnny to hear this. I love you very much. Thinking of you.’
Vaughan became a household name after winning his early morning role on The Big Breakfast, which aired between 1992 to 2002 and was watched by two million viewers at its peak.
Joined by Van Outen, there were arguably the show’s most popular presenting duo following the departure of original hosts Chris Evans and Gaby Roslin.
They were subsequently embroiled in a 23-year pay dispute until finally making up during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Vaughan later discussing the spat during an appearance on Channel 4 show Steph’s Packed Lunch.
He said: ‘You can only fall out with someone you really like, you don’t fall out with people you don’t like. And that’s the way of friendship.
The presenter shared a series of photos featuring Randal alongside his social media post
Celebrity friends including Denise Van Outen , with whom he hosted The Big Breakfast between 1998 and 2001, were among the first to comment as he broke the news
A picture of Randal during his army days was also posted by Vaughan on Sunday morning
‘There’s been a couple of ups and downs. But that’s because it’s a real, genuine friendship.’
In 2020, Vaughan returned to the former Big Breakfast studio at Lock Keeper’s Cottage in east London for am emotional tour, during which he recalled some of his favourite moments from the show.
He said: ‘So many great memories, but it’s kind of hard to connect it with the house that’s here now because it’s just so beautiful and so enclosed. When I was here, you really had the sense of just canal and two cottages, but it’s a bit like…
‘Being here today reminds me a bit like when I drove past a school I used to go to and the woodwork and metalwork shops have now been turned into these quite luxurious properties.’
He added: ‘They’d been converted, and I get the same sense that in both this building and that building, places where perhaps we weren’t meant to have that much fun, but we really did. So, quite an emotional visit, in its way.’
Vaughan and his late father Randal in a photo shared by the presenter on Sunday morning
Vaughan and Van Outen became household names after winning their roles on The Big Breakfast, which aired between 1992 to 2002 (pictured together on the show in 1998)