Gabby Logan has shared heartbreaking details about the final hours of her beloved father Terry, after his sudden death was confirmed just one day after she was forced to abandon Match of the Day mid-broadcast.
The 52-year-old sports presenter stunned viewers on Wednesday night when she abruptly left the BBC studio only 20 minutes into the programme following what was initially described as a “family emergency”. With no explanation at the time, Radio 5 Live host Mark Chapman stepped in to complete the show.
Discover more
Self-help books
Future planning tools
Entertainment news subscriptions
Sports memorabilia
celebrities
Event scheduling app
News aggregator apps
Travel accessories
Health monitoring devices
Luxury flight experiences
Gabby Logan was forced to leave Match of the Day midway through the show (Credit: BBC)
“Saddly Gabby has got a family emergency that she had to rush off and deal with,” he told viewers. “She’s gone to do that and I’ve come from the radio to finish the show.”
Concern quickly spread among fans — and yesterday morning the devastating truth emerged.
Gabby pictured with her father Terry Yorath on her wedding day (Credit: Shutterstock)
Gabby, along with her siblings Louise and Jordan, released a statement announcing that their father, former footballer and manager Terry Yorath, had died aged 75 following a short illness.
“To most he was a revered footballing hero, but to us he was Dad — a quiet, kind and gentle man,” the family said. “Our hearts are broken but we take comfort knowing that he will be reunited with our brother, Daniel.”
Gabby’s brother Daniel tragically died in 1992 aged just 15 after collapsing while playing football with his father. His death was later attributed to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an undiagnosed heart condition — a loss that shaped the rest of Terry’s life.
Later that evening, Gabby posted her own deeply emotional tribute on Instagram, sharing a carousel of photos and opening up about her father’s final moments.
“Thank you for your messages of love and support today, it has meant the world to us,” she wrote. “Our dad — a warrior on the football pitch, captaining club and country — was a kind-hearted and generous man off it, and would have hated all the attention (well, most of it). The stories shared by strangers today have been enormously comforting. He touched so many lives.”
She then revealed how she had sat beside his hospital bed only hours before her TV appearance.
“We knew he had limited time, but it is still a shock,” Gabby said.
“Yesterday afternoon I sat by his bed in St James Hospital Leeds and we debated whether roast potatoes were better with calves’ liver than mash — the meal he’d decided he wanted when he went home tomorrow.
“I left and went to work. He was looking forward to watching Newcastle v his beloved Leeds. He won’t go home tomorrow. But he is reunited with Daniel and that will feel like home.”
Gabby also spoke of the pain her father had carried for decades — from the Bradford City stadium fire in 1985 that killed 56 people, to the devastating loss of his son.
“I am sorry he had to deal with so much pain,” she wrote. “The Bradford fire was forever in his heart and losing Daniel defined the second half of his life.”
She ended her tribute by thanking hospital staff who cared for him with “such tenderness”, calling them “angels”, and signing off with the words: “I love you Dad.”
Born in Cardiff in 1950, Terry Yorath enjoyed a distinguished career as both a footballer and manager, earning 59 caps for Wales and captaining the national side on several occasions. He is survived by his wife Christine and children Gabby, Louise and Jordan.
Tributes quickly poured in from fans and football figures alike.
“Very sad to hear about the death of Terry Yorath. He was always lovely to chat to,” one wrote.
Another said: “Deeply saddened to hear of the death of a true footballing great. One of Wales’ finest ever players.”
A third added simply: “RIP Terry Yorath — a Leeds United and Wales legend.”