John Stapleton, a well-known television presenter, has died aged 79. He passed away in hospital on Sunday morning after living with Parkinson’s disease, which his agent said was complicated by pneumonia. Jackie Gill said: “John had Parkinson’s disease, which was complicated by pneumonia. His son Nick and daughter-in-law Lisa have been constantly at his side and John died peacefully in hospital this morning.” Stapleton had disclosed his Parkinson’s diagnosis in October 2024.

Born in Oldham in 1946, Stapleton began his career in newspapers before moving into television, where he presented Panorama and Newsnight and reported from conflict zones in the Middle East, El Salvador and Argentina during the Falklands War. He later fronted Good Morning Britain and returned to the BBC in 1986 to present Watchdog alongside his wife Lynn Faulds Wood until 1993.

In 2024 he spoke publicly about his condition on television, saying on ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “There’s no point in being miserable… It won’t ever change. I mean, Parkinson’s is here with me now for the rest of my life. Best I can do is try and control it and take the advice of all the experts.” He also appeared on Morning Live to discuss learning to sing for BBC Children In Need, noting that singing could help with his tremors.