Dermot John Murnaghan (; 26 December 1957 – 11 July 2026) was an English media personality, notable as a journalist, news reporter and television host. He presented for numerous networks, including Channel 4, CNBC Europe, Independent Television News and BBC News. Murnaghan anchored news programmes in a variety of time slots from when he joined Sky News in 2007 until the end of February 2023. He also presented the BBC quiz show Eggheads between 2003 and 2014.
Dermot John Murnaghan was born on 26 December 1957 in Barnstaple, Devon, and spent much of his early childhood in Northern Ireland following a family relocation. The family settled sequentially in Armagh, Newry (County Down), and later Holywood. His schooling took place at St Malachy's Primary School in Armagh and Sullivan Upper School, a grammar institution located in Holywood. Murnaghan went on to study history at the University of Sussex, where he earned a master's degree in 1980. He subsequently undertook postgraduate training in journalism at City University London.
Murnaghan began his journalism career as a trainee reporter with local newspapers before transitioning to television. He joined Channel 4 as a researcher and later worked as a reporter on The Business Programme. After a brief period presenting for the European Business Channel in Switzerland, he returned to the UK in 1989 to contribute to Channel 4's breakfast programme The Channel Four Daily, where he presented business segments. He later became one of the programme's lead presenters.
Murnaghan joined ITV in 1992 presenting bulletins and ITV Lunchtime News, and would occasionally cover News at Ten. On 31 August 1997, as an ITN news presenter, Murnaghan broke the news of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, to viewers on ITV. When ITV relaunched its news output in March 1999, he presented ITV Nightly News before switching to ITV Evening News in January 2001. He also worked on ITV's general election coverage in 2001. Between 1993 and 1997, he also presented the current affairs series The Big Story.
From September 2002 to December 2007, Murnaghan was a main presenter of BBC Breakfast, replacing Jeremy Bowen. He presented the show alongside Sophie Raworth, Natasha Kaplinsky, Kate Silverton, Sian Williams, and Susanna Reid. He co-presented BBC Breakfast from Monday to Thursday, as well as regularly fronting national BBC news bulletins, until December 2007 when he left to move to Sky News.
In October 2007, it was announced that Murnaghan would be leaving the BBC for Sky News. He became the second news presenter to depart the corporation in the same month; Natasha Kaplinsky also left to join Five News, produced by Sky. His final edition of Breakfast aired on 20 December 2007.
From January 2011 until December 2016, Murnaghan presented his own show, Murnaghan, on Sky News. It aired on Sunday mornings from 10 am until 12 noon. He began presenting Sky News Tonight from Monday to Thursday in September 2016. For the 2019 general election, Murnaghan hosted Sky News' overnight coverage, entitled The Brexit Election.
Murnaghan announced the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Sky News on 8 September 2022 and then presented the funeral coverage with Anna Botting. In February 2023, he left Sky News after 16 years.
Murnaghan co-presented BBC Two's Treasure Hunt (2002–2003), a revival of an earlier format on Channel 4 alongside Suzi Perry, he also presented the BBC Two daytime show Eggheads from 2003 until 2014, as well as its short-lived spin-off series Are You an Egghead? in 2008 and 2009. Following his move to Sky News, he shared the Eggheads role with Jeremy Vine, who subsequently became the sole presenter in series 16. Murnaghan guest presented reports for different travel shows including ITV's Wish You Were Here...? and BBC One's rival programme Holiday. He made a cameo as a newsreader in the 2004 film Wimbledon.
Murnaghan was an Arsenal fan. On 9 March 2017, Murnaghan was involved in a hit-and-run accident. He was cycling through Kentish Town, north-west London, to his work at Sky News when the accident took place. Speaking to Sky News, he said the driver of the car that hit him had been using a mobile phone when the incident occurred. The accident forced him off air from his Sky News show and resulted in large bruise marks on the left-hand side of his face. Murnaghan thanked a "good Samaritan" who saw what had happened and told him that the car had sped off.
In June 2025, Murnaghan disclosed that he had been diagnosed with stage IV prostate cancer, stating that he was responding well to treatment and encouraging men over 50 to seek early screening. Murnaghan died from the illness at his home in North London, on 11 July 2026, aged 68; tributes were paid by Mark Austin, Beth Rigby, and Piers Morgan.
Dermot Murnaghan KBJ Management (Official Agent) – Archived
Dermot Murnaghan at BBC Online
Dermot Murnaghan discography at Discogs