“The news of Steve Wright’s death has shattered me. We knew each other since the early sixties. Little Steve’s mum, Joan, was my mum Joyce’s good friend in New Cross Gate, London, SE14, in the fifties and sixties. Steve was in my brother Nigel’s class at Edmund Waller Primary School. Joan had a job, and so Steve would walk home after school with Nigel and Joyce and have tea at our flat in Fairlawn Mansions. Many of you have heard about this; it came up several times during chats he and I had on BBC Radio 2.

Steve Wright was the consummate broadcast professional. There wasn’t a star on this earth who refused the chance to share an interview with him on his In The Afternoon show.

Steve managed to be both the guy down-the-street, and a pro working on a higher plane at one and the same time.

He made it all seem so easy.

My loving best wishes and deepest sympathy go to his family.”