Beloved broadcaster Richard Morecroft dies following cancer battle
IN BRIEF
- Richard Morecroft has died aged 70, after sharing his cancer diagnosis in July 2026.
- Morecroft spent almost twenty years leading the ABC’s 7pm NSW news bulletin.
Former ABC News presenter and SBS host Richard Morecroft has been remembered as a generational talent.
Morecroft died “at a time of his choosing” on NSW’s south coast on Tuesday, aged 70, following his cancer diagnosis earlier in 2026, his family said.
“We are devastated to lose such a warm, generous and caring human and hope that all those who knew him, if only through their TV screens, will remember him fondly,” they wrote in a statement shared via Morecroft’s Instagram page.
Morecroft moved from England to Australia aged 10, studying at the University of Adelaide before taking a post at the ABC via the university’s radio station.
He presented ABC’s South Australian news bulletin before moving to Sydney, where he went on to host the network’s 7pm NSW news bulletin from 1983 to 2002.
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Morecroft also hosted the quiz show Letters and Numbers on SBS and ABC’s popular children’s current affairs program Behind the News.
‘A beloved part of Australian life’
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the former presenter as a consummate professional with heart.
“I was very sorry to hear of the passing of Richard Morecroft,” he said on Wednesday.
“As the face and the voice of the news of the ABC, Richard became a beloved part of Australian life.”
He reflected on revelations Morecroft, a passionate environmentalist, sometimes kept a baby flying fox under his desk while presenting the news.
“Richard was a great Australian and we were lucky to have him as part of our lives,” Albanese said.
SBS Managing Director Jane Palfreyman said the broadcaster was “deeply saddened” by the passing of “one of Australia’s most respected and familiar broadcasters”.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to Richard’s family, friends and former colleagues, and pay tribute to his wide and varied contribution to Australian television,” she said.
Morecroft hosted the SBS quiz show Letters and Numbers from 2010 to 2012, alongside Lily Serna.
“Richard brought warmth, intelligence and a dry wit to SBS’s Letters and Numbers,” Palfreyman said.
He introduced a “generation of viewers to the joy of words and numbers across a remarkable 450 episodes”.
“These episodes continue to be repeated today, reflecting Richard’s enduring appeal.”
‘Universally admired and respected’
Fellow ABC veteran and Australian Story presenter Leigh Sales said Morecroft took pains to welcome her to the Sydney newsroom as a junior reporter.
“Richard Morecroft was not only a consummate presenter, he was a true gentleman — generous and courteous to a fault,” she said.
“He was universally admired and respected.”
Hugh Marks, ABC’s managing director, said Morecroft was among the “great broadcasters of his generation”.
Morecroft shared an update about his cancer diagnosis to social media in July after returning home to the south coast from a long stint in hospital.
“Soaking up the last rays of the winter sun on a chilly Jervis Bay afternoon,” he wrote alongside a beachside selfie.
“It’s heaven to come home after nearly six weeks in hospital at the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse in Sydney.”
For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.
