Radio 2 DJ Jo Whiley pays tribute to 'lovely dad'

BBC Radio 2 presenter Jo Whiley has paid tribute to her "lovely" father following his death.

She announced the news about her dad, Martin Whiley, in an Instagram post on Tuesday, having previously revealed on her podcast that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

Whiley's social media tribute said: "My lovely dad died today. He was the kindest man, who lived solely to make others happy.

In the post, the 61-year-old Northampton-born broadcaster thanked her father for her love of music, saying he would carry "a huge ghetto blaster" around the building sites he worked on.

"He was supremely selfless and loved nothing more than caring for others and making people laugh," Whiley added.

She also commented on his "unrivalled" love for artists such as Elbow, Coldplay and Dido, adding "his passion for music never went away."

Whiley reflected on her father's childhood, stating it was "as sad as it gets".

She shared how Martin was without parents from a young age and was "sent alone to a sanatorium in London for two years" after being diagnosed with tuberculosis.

"Knowing how it felt not to be cared for, he devoted his life to caring for others," she explained.

"He was the greatest dad and he was everybody's favourite grandad, but especially to India, Jude, Cass and Coco who adored him," she added, referring to her four children.

The progressive neurological condition, in which parts of the brain become damaged over many years, affects movement as well as bodily and mental functions, according to the NHS.

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