Former Eggheads’ Host Dermot Murnaghan Passes Away from Cancer

Dermot Murnaghan, former TV presenter and news anchor for Sky News and BBC, passed away on July 11, 2026 after a year-long battle with cancer. He passed away peacefully at home, according to a statement from his family.

Murnaghan, 68, was a news anchor for Channel 4, ITV, Sky News and the BBC, and was well-known for hosting the quiz show Eggheads from 2003 to 2014. His career in journalism spanned over fifty years, and included covering the death of Queen Elizabeth in 2022.

Murnaghan shared his prostate cancer diagnosis publicly in June 2025. After finding out that he was facing stage 4 prostate cancer, he used the news to raise more awareness around early cancer screening. He shared the following on X at the time: “Needless to say my message to all men over 50, in high risk groups, or displaying symptoms, is get yourself tested and campaign for routine prostate screening by the NHS. Early detection is crucial. And be aware, this disease can sometimes progress rapidly without obvious symptoms.”

Common prostate cancer symptoms include urinating more frequently (especially at night), facing difficulties starting to urinate, having a weak flow, or finding blood in urine or semen. However, early prostate cancer rarely shows any symptoms. The PSA test is highly recommended as an easy form of early screening, for those at high risk.

In the years following his diagnosis, he began to raise awareness for cancer, and the importance of early testing for prostate cancer. He joined the charity, Prostate Cancer Research, as an ambassador in 2025, after revealing that he was facing stage 4 prostate cancer.

He shared the following, in an announcement with the charity: “I am now a proud Ambassador for the charity Prostate Cancer Research, and I’m honoured to support an organisation that is funding innovative research that will lead to better diagnostics and treatments, and campaigning for life-saving and urgently needed screening reform.”

In his final years, Murnaghan also worked closely with Prostate Cancer UK, another leading charity for prostate cancer research. According to the charity, Murnaghan’s efforts pushed over 28,000 men to use their prostate cancer risk checker in a single week.

He also participated in Sir Chris Hoy's cycling challenge Tour De 4 in 2025, a charity event aiming to raise funds for prostate cancer research, and to change the perceptions of people living with stage 4 cancer. Hoy, a six-time Olympic cycling champion, was also diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer in late 2024. Murnaghan cited Hoy as his initial inspiration for going public with his cancer diagnosis, after seeing the good that it could do to raise public awareness.