Gerry Kelly
Gerry Kelly, a cherished Northern Ireland broadcaster, has passed away at 77 Mellon Educate/Flickr

Gerry Kelly, the veteran broadcaster whose primetime UTV chat show shaped Friday nights for a generation, has died at home in Belfast aged 77, his family confirmed on Sunday.

Within hours, fans were revisiting one of his most shared moments, an interview with an eight-year-old Rory McIlroy calmly chipping golf balls into a washing machine on Kelly's sofa.

The clip, shared widely again after his death, has become a kind of shorthand for what Kelly did best. On paper it is simple: a small boy from Holywood chipping balls into a washing machine on live television and shrugging, 'I chip air balls,' while the audience roars.

In practice it is often cited as one of his standout moments, in part because Kelly simply let the child take centre stage.

Long-Running Career in Northern Irish Broadcasting

Kelly was born in Ballymena and started as a part-time GAA reporter before returning to UTV in 1979 after a stint at the Down Recorder.

By the late 1980s he had become one of the station's main faces, fronting Good Evening Ulster and shows including Lifestyle, Kelly's People, Kelly on Tour and Kelly on the Road.

His weekly chat and variety show, Kelly, launched in September 1989 and ran for 571 episodes before UTV ended its primetime slot in December 2005. At its peak it drew large local audiences, with a 2000 special featuring footballer George Best attracting 367,000 viewers.

UTV's Head of News and Programmes, Simon Clemison, called Kelly 'one of Northern Ireland's best known and much-loved broadcasters' and said the show had become 'must-watch' Friday-night viewing.

Kelly did not fully step away from broadcasting, but instead moved platforms. He joined BBC Radio Ulster in 2009 with a Saturday programme, adding a Friday afternoon show in 2014, before stepping back from both in 2019.

He also fronted the BBC Northern Ireland documentary Links to the Past: Pioneers of Ulster Golf, and in 2022 returned to the studio for Tonight with Gerry Kelly on NVTV, calling it a 'delight' to pass on his experience to a new generation.

Most recently he presented Conversations with Gerry Kelly, a 10-part NVTV series that began airing in January 2024. He had revealed a cancer diagnosis in 2018.

Tributes From Political Leaders and Colleagues

Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly called him 'a face and a voice that so many generations across Northern Ireland were familiar with' and 'a much loved presenter with a huge character', specifically highlighting the 'famous clip with a young Rory McIlroy and the washing machine'.

Former UTV journalist Ivan Little described him as 'one in a million' and 'certainly the best interviewer that we had' on Northern Ireland television, saying Kelly could 'get stuff out of people so naturally' that guests barely realised what they had revealed.

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt, one of only two people ever to host the show in Kelly's place, said 'great broadcasters like Gerry make it look easy by knowing everything, but pretending they don't,' calling him 'UTV's finest.'

Former UTV sports presenter Adrian Logan labelled him 'a colossus in UTV' who treated 'everybody fairly and equally,' while BBC presenter William Crawley praised his 'rare gift for drawing out a guest with deep curiosity and genuine warmth.'

Viewers Recall Friday Nights and Rory McIlroy Clip

Online, comedian Paddy Raff wrote: 'Friday nights meant Kelly on the telly,' adding that to many viewers he was simply 'like one of yer da's mates.'

For many, the lasting image is of a small boy chipping golf balls into a washing machine while Gerry Kelly sits alongside him, a moment that has come to represent his connection with viewers and guests alike.

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