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31 Jan 2026

Sir Terry Wogan was ‘very private’, says son

Sir Terry Wogan was ‘very private’, says son

The late Sir Terry Wogan’s son has described him as “the least showbiz person in showbiz”.

Mark Wogan was speaking on Jeremy Vine’s BBC Radio 2 show ahead of the 10th anniversary of Sir Terry’s death on Saturday.

Celebrated broadcaster Sir Terry was known for his own Radio 2 show, which he stepped down from in November 2015 as he battled prostate cancer.

He died on January 31 2016.

Wogan told Vine: “He loved what he did.

“As he said, ‘I’ve got the best job in the world. I go into work every day and laugh for two hours’.”

Sir Terry, who was also known for his extensive TV work including presenting Children In Need and his own chat show Wogan, was described as a “family man” by his son.

He said Sir Terry “made a conscious decision that he was public property” but did not want his family to be bothered by his fame.

He added: “He was very private, and when he clocked off at Radio Two, he genuinely went home. And he was a family man.

“He was the least showbiz person in showbiz. And you know, if you talk about the Wogan years, where, I think there were two-and-a-half thousand people he interviewed over that period, he became friends with two of them, really.

“Various people came through the door, but, I mean, it wasn’t kind of like a sort of showbiz extravaganza at home.”

Asked what Sir Terry was like when he was not working, Wogan said: “He was exactly the same, but at home, the volume was turned down.

“He was a man who, if he wasn’t working, he was very much relaxing.”

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