ITV
Tyne Tees personality Neville Wanless dies
The broadcaster has passed away aged 89.
ITV Tyne Tees has announced that their former Head of Presentation Neville Wanless has died.
“We are sad to announce the death of our former colleague Neville Wanless, who has passed away in hospital.” – ITV Tyne Tees
The Gateshead-based company went on to note that ‘Mr Wanless was a well known and well-loved part of the Tyne Tees presenting team for more than 30 years’ when Tyne Tees Television, as was, broadcast from City Road in Newcastle and produced a mix of regional programmes and network offerings.
One such networked programme, to feature Neville was the TTTV drama A Nightingale Sings from 1989. He also made an appearance in Jimmy Nail drama Spender on the BBC.
It was however as a local presenter and continuity announcer that ITV viewers in the North East will best remember Neville Wanless, including hosting local events guide Lookaround and The Birthday Spot.
He began in the world of broadcasting with the BBC in 1961 as an announcer and newsreader for Newcastle based BBC North East and Cumberland, switching to Tyne Tees Television in 1971, becoming the station’s longest-serving continuity announcer. He semi-retired from the department in 1988, making his last on-screen appearance in Tyne Tees’ continuity booth in 1991. In the ’70s and early 80’s he also occasionally worked at Border TV in Carlisle as a relief announcer.
Over the decades since departing the City Road studios, Neville continued to be a regular feature on Radio Tyneside, the hospital radio service for Newcastle. In the mid-1990s he also hosted a Sunday evening nostalgia radio show for Century 100-102FM.
A family statement, issued by ITV Tyne Tees noted, that ‘Mr Wanless died aged 89 in North Tyneside General Hospital on Friday with his wife Pat and their daughter Melanie at his side.’
Speaking on social media Melanie noted her father had declined in health following a fall. ‘He fractured his hip 8 weeks ago while out walking outside with my mum by tripping and falling, and devastatingly his health declined rapidly.’
