Gary Burgess

Gary Burgess (13 November 1975 – 1 January 2022) was a British broadcaster and journalist, latterly in the Channel Islands where his freelance work on regional television, local radio and a newspaper led him to become known as a community champion who shared openly about his experiences of cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome. He was named Community Champion of the Year in the Jersey Evening Post 2021 Pride of Jersey awards.

Early life and education Gary Burgess was born in Bury, Greater Manchester on 13 November 1975. At age six, he moved with his family to South Africa due to his father's job. After his shift there, he worked during the day at a call centre. Still age 17, he went on to host his own show. A few years later, he got a job as a journalist in the station's newsroom, and went on to host the afternoon show, the breakfast show, and then became programme controller. at Q96 in Renfrewshire, at Liverpool's Juice FM

His first stint in the Channel Islands was in Guernsey, joining the island's only commercial radio station Island FM in 2003 as breakfast presenter and programme director, having instantly "fallen in love" with the island.

He returned to commercial radio in 2018, joining the presenting line-up at Channel 103.

Personal life Gary married his long-term partner Alan Stirling in 2018, becoming the first same-sex couple in Jersey to convert a civil partnership to a marriage after the island legalised same-sex marriage. They had held an unofficial wedding ceremony in March, before the law came into effect.

Illness and death In 1999 when he was aged 23, Burgess was diagnosed with testicular cancer, which spread to his chest and lungs, receiving three months of chemotherapy. In 2014, the cancer had returned to his lungs and, in 2015, he had parts of his right lung removed. He underwent further surgery in August 2016 to remove cancerous tissue between his heart and windpipe. He went on to become a figure head for campaigns by cancer charities including Macmillan Cancer Support and Cancer Research UK.

In 2016, Burgess began to suffer from exhaustion, brain fog, headaches and nausea. In January 2017, he was signed off work for 18 months and was eventually diagnosed as having myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. and confessed to having suicidal thoughts.

On 3 November 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Burgess was told in a video call with his oncology consultant in Southampton that his cancer was terminal with no treatment available, and that he would have six to twelve months to live. He retired from broadcasting in August 2021 to focus on his health and wellbeing. Shortly after his final ITV report and radio show, he was awarded a Silver Seal by Jersey's Bailiff, Timothy Le Cocq, in recognition of his contribution to island life.

Burgess had been open about his experience of cancer through a blog, newspaper articles and television interviews and sought to address a taboo about death.

Legacy A Pride of Jersey award was created in his memory, to be awarded to "an inspirational person who has selflessly stepped up to support islanders and bring people together". In 2022, the inaugural award went to Ben Mason who raised money after his 14-year-old sister took her own life. In 2023, it was awarded posthumously to Dean Lowe, an inclusion campaigner, fundraiser and disability champion. In 2023, the posthumous winner was Simon Boas, a humanitarian whose inspirational writings after his own terminal diagnosis were turned into a book.