Jeremy Mansfield Passes Away At 59, Surrounded by Family and Friends

Popular South African radio personality Jeremy Mansfield has sadly passed away at the age of 59, after a long battle with cancer. His close friend and former co-presenter Samantha Cowan, who is also a collaborator on Mansfield’s YouTube channel Mansfield2day, broke the news on Monday morning. Samantha said:

“This morning a light went out in the world. Jeremy Mansfield passed away just before dawn. He died peacefully at home surrounded by family and friends and boundless love.

“Jeremy lived large, he didn’t know how to do small. He loved hard, laughed loud and managed to combine mischief and mayhem with heart and soul. The city was brighter and lighter with him on the airwaves, he changed lives every day. When he wasn’t raising millions for charity, he was raising fresh hell!

“Under a naughty exterior Jeremy had a huge soft heart. A lot of people got to see and hear that over the radio but he saved his vulnerability for a select few. He was determined that the world be a better and shinier and funnier place and he drove the road to that destination at 1000 miles an hour with no rear view mirror, all of the rest of us clinging on for dear life!

“We will miss him horribly. The family is devastated and is asking for privacy during this time.

“Right to the end we were reading him your messages and he was so happy to hear them all, every single one. He knew he was loved and it mattered. He mattered. There will be a new star in the sky tonight.

“As he would have said, Good night Bunnies.”

Jeremy entered the radio world in 1985 while he was still a student, working for Capital Radio 604 in Durban. He went on to work for Super Sport (M-Net) and present sports inserts on the John Berks show on 702.

His popularity grew and by 1995 he was hosting the afternoon show. In 1997, he moved to 94.7 Highveld Stereo where he hosted the weekday breakfast show (The Rude Awakening) with Sam Cowan, as well as Harry Sideropoulos, Paul Rotherham and Whackhead Simpson, until 2010.

In 2018, Jeremy returned to radio, hosting Mansfield in the Morning on Hot 91.9fm. His YouTube channel, Mansfield2Day was created in July 2021.

Jeremy won several awards during his career, and was much loved by his listeners. Tribute have been pouring in for the “legend with a huge heart and soul”.

Fellow radio presenter Darren Scott wrote:

“Another giant has left us.
Jeremy Mansfield was one of those handful of radio personalities, like the late John Berks, who had a significant impact on the radio landscape in this country. The word “legend” is attributed to many …. Jeremy transcended that, and ranks up there with the few that can be called icons!
We started at Capital Radio together, under the late Kevin Savage’s wing. Back in those days, Jem brought one of his myriad of brilliant, hilarious characters to my show – the fictitious Hump Hanepoort, the rugby-loving station “security guard” – and up to the last time we saw each other, he would always greet me with Humpies’ traditional “Jirre Jissus Mr Squat!!! How are it?” greeting!
Our careers intersected many times over those nearly 40 years, and I was fortunate to get to work with Jem again just a few years back when he joined our XVR syndicated business, and we co-hosted Hot 91.9’s brand new Breakfast Show.
I was glad to get to spend some time with him at the recent Johnny Clegg Tribute concert. He was frail, but that sense of humour was still there.
He fought a brave battle, and right to the end, did it in true Jeremy style!
Farewell bud …. your family, friends and all the people whose lives you touched with your big personality and talent, will miss you immensely!
Mr Squat says “Rest in Peace, Jem!”
I’m sure you and Savage have already found a Brewer’s Tavern (Studio 6) in Heaven, sharing stories and on your umpteenth beer by now!??????”