BBC clarifies Brian Matthew is critically ill after mistakenly announcing his death

Veteran broadcaster Brian Matthew is critically ill. It was previously reported that the Sounds of the 60s presenter had died, but the BBC have since clarified that Brian is in a critical way. The news comes after he announced his decision in January to step down from the show he fronted for years because of ill health. The BBC have said in a statement: "We were informed by close family and friends that Brian had passed away in the night. They have since been in contact to say that he remains critically ill. We will update with more information when we have it. Our thoughts remain with his family at this very difficult time." 

BBC Radio 2 presenter Brian Matthew is critically ill

The radio DJ presented his last full show in November, but came back for a compilation show earlier this year. Brian, who started his broadcasting career in 1948, was one of Radio 2's first DJs, and had presented Sounds of the 60s since 1990. When he revealed he was stepping down from his show, Brian thanked listeners for their support over the years. "The BBC have, in their wisdom, just sent me a whole batch of letters from listeners. You should see the mail," he said. "It's amazing, people saying 'We've always been fans of the programme, it isn't the same without you, when are you coming back?'"