A memorial service has been held for former BBC and Sky News presenter David Murnaghan, who was remembered by his friends and family as being an 'extraordinary' broadcaster with a 'wonderfully mischievous sense of humour.'
Colleagues and friends of Murnaghan - who died in July aged 68 following a battle with prostate cancer - gathered in London to remember the presenter, who was a familiar face to millions of viewers across the nation. Having hosted interviews with some of the biggest names in international and national politics, Murnaghan's career saw him break the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II back in 2022.
The Sky News presenter has first revealed his heartbreaking diagnosis back in June 2025, revealing that he had stage four advanced prostate cancer. In his post, he wrote he was 'fortunate to have a simply outstanding medical team,' adding, 'Needless to say, my message to all men over 50, in high risk groups, or displaying symptoms, is get yourself tested and campaign for routine prostate screening by the NHS.'
The broadcaster also said he was 'blessed' to have 'the love and support' of his wife, Maria Keegan, during this difficult time, alongside his family and friends.
Dermot's wife, Maria, and their four children were in attendance at Thursday's memorial service, alongside colleagues including Beth Rigby and Natasha Kaplinsky.
Who is Maria Keegan?
Maria Keegan is a journalist who is married to Dermot Murnaghan. The couple tied the knot in 1989 and were married for 37 years before Dermot's death in 2026. The couple married in Camden, and spent much of their life living together in North London.
The couple share four children together, who they kept out of the public eye when they were growing up.
What has Dermot Murnaghan said about Maria Keegan?
Not much is known about Dermot's private life, although the presenter did give some small glimpses into it over the years. In an unearthed interview from 2010, Dermot made a sweet admission about who handles what in their household.
'Maria runs the domestic budget and looks after my office administration,' he explained. 'We have a business account and all the money I earn goes into that then feeds into our separate personal accounts. I haven't got a clue how the domestic bills get paid - I leave it all to Maria.'
He also added in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph that he doesn't derive his happiness from money. When asked if more money made him happier, he replied: 'No, because I don't measure my happiness by money. I get my happiness primarily from my wife and family and secondly from job satisfaction.'
Do Dermot Murnaghan and Maria Keegan have children?
Dermot and Maria have four children together, although they are not in the public eye. Their children are Kitty, 33, a teach worker based in Berlin, Molly, 28, a London based PR, Alice, 26, who works as an environmentalist in Ireland, and Jack, 23, a football coach based in Spain.
In 2006, the broadcaster gave people an insight into raising his children during an interview with The Mail on Sunday, detailing an incident where his daughter issued him with a quip about makeup.
'As a presenter you have to wear make-up, so I keep some on me for emergencies,' he told the outlet. 'At a Sunday lunch in a restaurant, something fell out of my wife's bag. My youngest daughter, Alice, seven, picked it up and said loudly, "Daddy, is this your make-up bag or Mummy's". I tried to smile serenely as every head turned in my direction.'
In an emotional interview with The Telegraph last year, Dermot spoke about the heartbreaking moment he told his children he had cancer. 'It blindsides you. It was coming up to Christmas [when I was diagnosed] and the children were all coming home. It’s like a gut punch. I can only imagine the effect on them. A huge part of the mental process [of dealing with this] for me is asking [myself], "What have you laid on them, you fool?" If only I had got diagnosed at an earlier stage, all that hurt and worry I could have saved them.'
Saying his family had been his biggest source of support, the presenter added at the time, 'They’ve been beyond excellent to me. There have been moments where I’ve had quite a lot of pain in my bones and my daughters have been helping me walk down the street, and I have caught sight of myself and thought, "Oh God, when did I become old?"'
Alice Hall is the Staff Writer at Grazia UK. She was previously a Junior Features Writer for The Daily Telegraph. At Grazia, she writes news and features about pop culture, dating, health, politics and interiors.