Heartbreaking tributes paid to Manchester radio DJ after death aged 54

Manchester radio DJ Simon Peel has died aged 54. Heartfelt tributes have been flooding in for the Yorkshire-born presenter after his death on Thursday morning (January 18).

Simon, remembered for his 'love for broadcasting and sports', was one of the original members of the team at Gaydio in Manchester when the station was first broadcast back in 2006.

He quickly became an 'instrumental' part of Gaydio's technical team when the LGBTQ+ station launched in Manchester and, most recently, was hosting an evening show. His last show was just before Christmas.

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It is understood that Simon faced ongoing health difficulties after first contracting Covid-19 three years ago. He passed away in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Following the announcement of his death, heartfelt tributes have been paid in his memory. A public statement shared by Gaydio said: "As well as on air, Simon was instrumental in keeping the station on air with his technical knowledge. It’s fair to say there was little that with a longer cable and roll of gaffer tape he couldn’t fix.

"His passion and commitment to Gaydio never stopped and often went above and beyond, often being on call all-times-of day. He did it all in a voluntary capacity, believing in value of operating an LGBTQ+ station."

Paying tribute, Kriss Herbert-Noble, Gaydio Network Content Director: “Simon has been apart of Gaydio from Day 1, from the 4 week pop up broadcasts we did, to launching full time, Simon has been instrumental in making the nerdy things work for Gaydio.

"King of a quick fix, always on call, reliable and the one who always brought in cakes for the team - Simon was a great guy, not just professionally but