Countdown tribute to Gary Burgess
A TRIBUTE to Gary Burgess on a popular TV game show described the late journalist’s final address as a ‘powerful and visceral and moving thing to see’.
Impressionist Jon Culshaw praised Mr Burgess on an episode of Channel 4 Countdown Friday afternoon.
The pair first crossed paths on the Radio Wave sports show, which Mr Burgess was producing as a teenager.
‘He was only 16 at the time and you could tell what a prodigy he was,’ said Mr Culshaw.
‘He made that show by keeping all the results coming through on time and keeping it accurate and being a one-man sports department. He could have been the controller of Channel 4, even at that age. He was so bright.’
When he was 30 years into his broadcast journalism career, Mr Burgess was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
He continued to maintain an online presence until his final weeks and one particular phrase he mentioned stuck with Channel Islanders and even further afield – ‘everyone should take twice as long to do half as much’.
He died on New Year’s Day.
Mr Culshaw said that when people spoke about the now legendary islander, they spoke about how he made them feel.
‘I think it chimes right now that he felt his life has been in fast-forward in the sense that it’s only when you have no choice but to take things steadily and really just experience another pace, that you then are much more open to all of the wonders and small joys and the values of life that are so important and good for the soul,’ said Mr Culshaw.
One of his close friends said she could not have put the words any better.
‘He covered everything in those couple of minutes – Gary’s charisma, his heart,’ said Susie Campanella, who launched the Jumping in Puddles for Cancer campaign in support of her friend.
‘Gary was such a legend of a friend and a legend of a presenter, he was so unique, and for Jon to be able to nail that in two minutes was amazing. When Gary passed away he wanted to do something special, and it was so lovely and just delivered so beautifully.’
His funeral was held in January which thousands of people watched through a live stream.
