Henry Kelly (17 April 1946 – 25 February 2025)[1] was an Irish radio and television broadcaster, actor and journalist.
Kelly was born in Athlone, County Westmeath, and educated at Belvedere College and University College Dublin, where he was auditor of the Literary and Historical Society. Whilst at university he wrote theatre reviews for The Irish Times.[2]
In 1980, in a complete career change at the age of 34, Kelly abandoned journalism and chose to pursue another career in television, presenting light entertainment shows. Whilst at university, Kelly had been a friend of the family of Terry Wogan and was drawn to try to emulate Wogan's career path by the professional success that Wogan was experiencing by the late 1970s with the BBC.[2]

In 1981, Kelly secured a co-presenter slot on the United Kingdom's ITV television channel with the London Weekend Television prime-time light entertainment show Game for a Laugh, which was a sufficient ratings success to make him a household name in the country.[citation needed] He remained with the show until 1983. In June 1983, Kelly joined TV-am, and became the host of the Saturday edition of "Good Morning Britain" with Toni Arthur. He was also a regular stand-in presenter on the weekday programme and presented "Summer Sunday" over the years.[6] He left TV-am in 1987, and from 1987 to 1996 he presented Going for Gold, a lunchtime television quiz game show broadcast on BBC1 with contestants from across Europe.

In 1988 he briefly returned to journalism and once chaired After Dark. He had previously appeared on that programme discussing the activities of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association, which he had witnessed first-hand as a journalist in the early 1970s.

In 2000 he appeared as a quiz show host in the final two episodes of the Victoria Wood sitcom dinnerladies.[7] Kelly had also previously worked with Wood on her show Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV in the mid-1980s. He also appeared occasionally on Sky News television reviewing the Sunday morning newspapers.[citation needed]