The Daily Mail has announced “with great sadness” the sudden death of night editor John Lee aged 58.
Lee, described by the paper as “a brilliant and inspirational journalist”, came from a newspaper-owning family in Huddersfield.
Before making his way to the Mail, Lee worked at titles including the Huddersfield Daily Examiner, the Bradford Telegraph and Argus, the Brighton Argus and the Manchester Evening News.
He worked at the Mail for 28 years under editors Paul Dacre, Geordie Greig and Ted Verity, beginning as a news sub-editor. He was appointed night editor in 2015, a job the Mail said he “loved”.
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Daily Mail editor Ted Verity said: “John was an exceptionally talented journalist who brought huge flair and his own inimitable personality to everything he did. He will be greatly missed.”
A close colleague said on Tuesday night: “John became a trusted and loyal friend over the 26 years we knew each other and was simply a joy to work with.
“Clever, funny and utterly unflappable, he had the perfect personality for a night editor – fascinated by the news agenda but with just enough cynicism not to be seduced by its tricks. We will all miss him hugely.”
Lee leaves a wife, Louise, an academic, and a daughter Georgina, herself a journalist with Channel 4 News.
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