RIP Stewpot.

A generation of Britons will be saddened this morning to hear of the death of Ed “Stewpot” Stewart. His Junior Choice show on Radio 1 was listened to by every child in the 1970s. It was the first time the BBC had used a young-ish presenter for a children’s programme and it was quite a bold move, given Stewpot’s history as a pirate DJ and a bit of a player. But his genuine kindness and irreverence were an instant hit and set the template for Noel Edmonds on Multi-Coloured Swap Shop and Chris Tarrant on Tiswas. Junior Choice disappeared around 1980 but in 2007, Radio 2 revived it as a one-off on Christmas Day. It proved so popular that they brought it back every year. I tuned in on Christmas morning and when Stewpot signed off with this, I felt a nostalgic lump in my throat. And this morning, sadly, I’m feeling it again.