John Mahoney, the former Daily Star Northern news editor, has died at the age of 60 following a short illness.
Tributes have been paid to the journalist, who in the Press Gazette was described as “the undisputed king of the splash and one of life’s truly great characters.
“[He] bossed the front pages of his newspaper for 30 years with tales about the rich and famous – whilst everyone else barely got a look in.”
Mahoney worked on the Bradford Telegraph and Argus, and later moved to a news agency on Lumb Lane in the city, before going to the Star in 1986, where he developed a reputation for creating “showbiz specials”.
He originally worked in the US covering Hollywood news at the Daily Star, before becoming Northern news editor in Manchester, originally at its offices on Great Ancoats Street before moving to Bloom Street in the Gay Village.
Ex-associate editor at the Daily Star and friend of Mahoney, Ian Trueman, told the Press Gazette: “Professionally he stood out from the best and often left his opposition in his wake”.
He is survived by his wife Moya, and daughters Katherine and Lucy.
