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BBC presenter Ray Gosling dies, aged 74 | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Journalist, broadcaster and gay rights activist Ray Gosling has died in hospital in Nottingham. | Journalist, broadcaster and gay rights activist Ray Gosling has died in hospital in Nottingham. |
Gosling, 74, presented more than 100 television documentaries and many more radio programmes. | |
In 2010 he was sentenced for wasting police time after he falsely claimed on a BBC show that he had smothered a former lover who was dying of Aids. | |
Nottingham University NHS Trust said Gosling died at the Queen's Medical Centre on Tuesday. | |
'Picked up pillow' | 'Picked up pillow' |
In 2004, Gosling became a regular presenter on Inside Out East Midlands. | |
During one of the programmes, broadcast on 15 February 2010, he claimed that he had killed his lover. | During one of the programmes, broadcast on 15 February 2010, he claimed that he had killed his lover. |
"I killed someone once," he said. "He was a young chap, he'd been my lover and he got Aids. | |
"I picked up the pillow and smothered him until he was dead." | "I picked up the pillow and smothered him until he was dead." |
Gosling was interviewed on the BBC Breakfast programme the day after the Inside Out broadcast and was asked about his claims. He again confessed to the killing. | |
He was arrested on suspicion of murder but charged with wasting police time after the confession was determined to be false. | |
'Avoid scrum' | 'Avoid scrum' |
Tony Roe, a BBC editor and friend of Gosling, discussed a programme about death which led to Gosling making the false claims. | |
Mr Roe said: "After his arrest he was bailed to my house to avoid the media scrum. When he told the truth I was at first angry inside, and then sad. | Mr Roe said: "After his arrest he was bailed to my house to avoid the media scrum. When he told the truth I was at first angry inside, and then sad. |
"He was sitting in front of me, his career over. For once no straight answer as to why he had done it. But that night did see an explanation of sorts. | |
"At his friend's funeral he said he was harangued for not ending the suffering sooner. So for the next 30 years he told himself and believed himself that he had. | "At his friend's funeral he said he was harangued for not ending the suffering sooner. So for the next 30 years he told himself and believed himself that he had. |
"He had wanted to do the right thing and to have been seen to do the right thing." | "He had wanted to do the right thing and to have been seen to do the right thing." |
Poet and artist Dave Bishop, also known as Lord Biro, was a close friend of Gosling and was with him at the hospital on Tuesday. | |
He said people should remember him for his TV and radio work. | |
"He was different from all other broadcasters," he said. | |
"He was curious about the world and used to go to places that no-one else bothered with. | |
"Ray knew how to talk to people and he liked to mix with the working class, and talk to them. | |
"He didn't like programmes like Shameless and EastEnders because he thought they misrepresented the working class." | |
Sheds and gnomes | Sheds and gnomes |
Gosling was born in Chester in 1939 and was educated at Northampton Grammar School and the University of Leicester. | |
He was a youth worker in the St Ann's area of Nottingham and wrote Sum Total, his autobiography, at the age of 23. The book detailed his work in the city. | |
During the 1960s and 1970s Gosling hosted Granada TV's On Site programme. | |
He made many TV and radio documentaries about his personal life as well as about sheds, gnomes and windmills. | He made many TV and radio documentaries about his personal life as well as about sheds, gnomes and windmills. |
In one of his last documentaries he discussed old age, bankruptcy and moving into sheltered accommodation. | |
Mr Roe said: "[He made] Films about people and the places they lived. He wrote like he spoke. Direct. Said what he saw. Said what he thought." | Mr Roe said: "[He made] Films about people and the places they lived. He wrote like he spoke. Direct. Said what he saw. Said what he thought." |