We need statue to remember Sir Terry Wogan suggests Dame Esther Rantzen
DAME Esther Rantzen yesterday called for a statue on the roof of the BBC to honour close friend and national treasure Sir Terry Wogan.
Sir Terry, 77, died from cancer last month
Sir Terry, 77, died from cancer last month sparking an outpouring of heartfelt tributes and condolences to widow Helen and children Mark, Alan and Katherine.
Dame Esther and Sir Terry became friends after co-presenting Children in Need in the 1980s, with both tied to the cause.
Dame Esther Rantzen has called for a statue of Sir Terry
Now Dame Esther, 75, is urging the nation to back a memorial to the iconic, radio and TV presenter. She said: “Eric Morecambe has got a fabulous statue in Morecambe Bay.
“I think a Wogan statue in his hometown Limerick or on the roof of Broadcasting House, where he claimed the nymphs used to dance, would be fitting.
He was very sweet to me. We were real partners
“I loved working with him. He was very sweet to me. We were real partners. I didn’t know he was ill. Terry was a very private person and it doesn’t surprise me that nobody knew.
“We’ve lost someone who united the nation with his impish humour and irreverence. We all thought he was immortal. I think he will be.”
Looking back to the day they first met, Esther said she spotted his talent straight away, adding: “He introduced me for a radio show.
Sir Terry Wogan and Dame Esther Rantzen together in 1987
“He was fantastic, a really good interviewer. He had that wonderful twinkle, very humorous. He enjoyed spontaneous fun, as well as getting to the serious questions.
"I remember one of the senior BBC bosses saying ‘You watch that man, he’s more than just a DJ’ and clearly he was.
It has been suggested that a statue be put on the roof of Broadcasting House
Terry Wogan: 1938-2016
“It was clear to everyone in broadcasting he was a major talent. He made it look easy, but it wasn’t.
“There are great broadcasters out there, and more will come – but there will never be another Terry Wogan.”