Updated: former presenter of BBC Yorkshire’s Look North news programme has died

His wife Helen Gration, 53, paid tribute to her husband: ‘He will forever be with us.’

The couple welcomed their third child, Harrison in 2019, when he was 68 and she was 50.

‘Our three boys and I loved Harry totally. We had an awful lot of fun with him and our home was his life.’

Because IVF is not permitted for women Mrs. Gration’s age under UK law, the couple had to use an egg donor and go to Cyprus for their IVF procedure.

The infant was born after trolls claimed the couple would be too old to care for their new child in messages addressed to the TV host in June.

Mr Gration responded to those claims at the time by saying: ‘You do get some people on social media who have negative things to say but I am taking it all on the chin.’

BBC’s director general Tim Davie paid tribute to the late presenter: ‘Harry Gration MBE was an outstanding broadcaster and commentator.

‘He had a real connection with the public who saw him as one of their own. Loved everywhere, but especially in Yorkshire, he will be hugely missed by his many fans and friends. Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.’

Amy Garcia of BBC Yorkshire fought back tears as she announced the sudden death of Mr Gration live on air this evening.

She told viewers live from Wakefield: ‘As we close the programme tonight I have some very sad news to share with you all. Our much loved friend and colleague Harry Gration very suddenly died today.

‘We all at Look North are absolutely devastated to give you this news. Next week we will take our time to pay tribute to Harry properly, that’s what he deserves.

‘But tonight our hearts go out to Harry’s wife Helen, their children, and all of Harry’s friends, we know they will want to pay tribute to him as well.’

The 71-year-old was born in Bradford and began his career at the BBC by filing match reports for the BBC – at the same time working as a history teacher in the mid-1970s.

Jason Horton, acting director of BBC England, described Gration as ‘one of the true broadcasting greats’.

‘He was a natural on the television and on radio, adored by our audiences, especially as the trusted face of Look North and South Today,’ he added.

‘He loved news, sport, his colleagues and fundraising for Children in Need and Comic Relief. Our thoughts are with his family, his friends and everyone across the BBC who he worked with.’

He was made an MBE for services to broadcasting in 2013. Speaking after it was announced he was leaving the BBC in 2020, Gration said: ‘I’ve interviewed every prime minister since Margaret Thatcher, covered every major Look North story even at the expense of my holidays, and I wouldn’t have changed a thing.

‘I’ve always lived the story. Horrendous events such as the devastating news of Jo Cox’s death, the disastrous floods of recent times, the Bradford riots, Hillsborough, have always affected me. They were always an assault on my county.

‘Stand-out moments include raising over £800,000 on a tandem, pushing a sofa and being tied to Paul: three challenges my body will never forget.’

In 2019, Gration became a father again at the age of 68, when his wife, Helen, gave birth to his sixth child.