Newspaper columnist and broadcaster Rod Liddle dies aged 66

Rod Liddle, one of Britain's most provocative and widely-read newspaper columnists, died in hospital in Middlesbrough on Sunday, 2 August 2026. He was 66 years old. His family confirmed his death, which was reported across British media throughout the day.

A career built on controversy

Liddle began his broadcasting career at the BBC, rising to become editor of the flagship Radio 4 programme Today from 1998 to 2002. His tenure was widely regarded as editorially strong, though it ended following personal controversy that prompted his resignation. He subsequently reinvented himself as a print journalist, becoming one of Britain's most polarising columnists.

For many years he wrote regularly for The Sunday Times and for The Spectator magazine, where his column attracted devoted readers and fierce critics in equal measure. His writing was characterised by sharp wit, blunt opinion and a studied disregard for prevailing liberal orthodoxies. He weighed in on everything from immigration and Islam to football and feminism, rarely softening his views for the sake of approval.

A voice that divided opinion

Liddle's journalism regularly attracted formal complaints and media regulator scrutiny. He was unapologetic, viewing controversy as the natural consequence of honest commentary. In interviews he criticised what he described as the timidity and group-think of the British media mainstream. His admirers praised him as a rare voice willing to say what others only thought; his detractors regarded him as needlessly offensive.

Despite the division he provoked, even critics acknowledged Liddle's technical skill as a writer. His prose was crisp and readable, and his arguments, however contentious, were coherently made. He was for many years among the most discussed columnists in British journalism.

Tributes from across British media

News of his death drew responses from former colleagues and public figures across the political spectrum. The Spectator, where he had been a fixture for many years, paid tribute to a writer who had been one of its most-read contributors. Several journalists noted that, whatever one's view of his opinions, Liddle embodied a tradition of fearless, opinionated commentary that is increasingly rare in contemporary media.

Rod Liddle is survived by his family. His death brings to an end a career that left a lasting and contested mark on British journalism and public life.