Radio icon Doug Mulray dead at 71

More detail has emerged of ‘Uncle’ Doug Mulray’s final audio interview as tributes pour in for the Australian radio legend, broadcaster and comedian after he passed away. Send yours in.

Tributes are pouring in for veteran Australian radio legend, TV broadcaster and comedian Doug Mulray, who has died aged 71 after a battle with a long illness.

In what is also believed to be his final audio interview, Angela Catterns and Ian Rogerson, who interviewed Mulray for the ABC “Suddenly Senior” podcast last year, said there was a “beautiful, sentimental, emotional side” to him, and even after so long off air, strangers would call out to him, “Love you Dougie”.

He was best known as “Uncle Doug” while hosting Sydney’s Triple M in 1982, after rising to fame with Mulray & The Man in the mid-1970s on 3AW Melbourne, before moving to ABC’s Double J.

Doug Mulray in his 2WS-FM studio.

He famously signed off from his Triple M radio shows with the line “cop you later”.

He later hosted radio shows on 2WS and 2SM before moving into the world of TV.

In the ABC podcast, Mulray told Catterns and Rogerson that he quit radio when it stopped being fun.

“I never did it for the money. I did it because it was a joy to do,” he said.

Catterns and Rogerson said Mulray was not well at the time they interviewed him. Mulray had just had a hip replacement and was undergoing tests on his liver, they said.

Mulray in 1998.

He loved his job.

Radio station Triple M Sydney confirmed Mulray’s death after it was first revealed by friends.

“He died peacefully yesterday, with his long-time partner Lizzie and business partner Hamish Cameron by his side,” his family’s statement confirmed.

“From the formative years of Triple M, and FM radio … his show’s ratings share grew from 2.6 per cent to over 18 per cent, thrusting Triple M into #1status,” they said.

“Doug Mulray was a very private man and since his retirement deliberately kept out of the limelight for the past twenty years.”

Mulray selling his Cromer Road, Cromer, property in 1999. Picture: Simon Ocksedge

Mulray was born December 1, 1951, and began his career at 2AD in Armidale, before joining stations at Gosford on the Central Coast of NSW and Melbourne.

Concerns for the larrikin entertainer’s health emerged after his admission to hospital in late December. No cause of death has been given at this stage.

But 2GB’s Ben Fordham said Friday he “hadn’t been well for a while” and spent the night of March 20, 2023, in intensive care in a Sydney hospital.

Doug Mulray has passed away, aged 71.

Mulray’s cause of death has not been made public.

While Mulray had retired from the public spotlight almost two decades ago, he made a surprise appearance to make an emotional speech at a Triple M staff reunion at Sydney’s Oaks Hotel in November.

“When I left radio I was over it. I wanted the privacy and I kind of distanced myself … It was kind of like a fantasy,” he reportedly said at the event.

“It always felt to be good to be with you guys. Be together. And I want to thank you for that. Thank you.”

Doug Mulray and Lizzie take delivery of their new Triumph Bonneville in 2000. Picture: Peter Clark

Triple M’s Mick Molloy and Mark Geyer paid tribute to him.

“This is an important passing, especially for people in our industry and I imagine there’s a lot of people out there in Sydney today who will pause and think how he affected their lives,” Molloy said.

Geyer hailed him as “the godfather”.

Doug Mulray from a video posted from Triple M's staff reunion at The Oaks Hotel in Neutral Bay.

Fordham paid tribute to Mulray as one of the industry’s greats, known for his “adrenaline”-fuelled broadcasts.

“If there’s a radio station in heaven, they better get the dump button ready, because Doug Mulray is coming,” Fordham said.

KIIS FM host Kyle Sandilands said “I knew he wasn’t well” while his co-host Jackie ‘O’ Henderson said she was “very sad” to learn of his death.

“A giant of radio,” said veteran newsreader Geoff Field.

Doug Mulray with actress Nicole Kidman in 1992.

Triple M Melbourne Mornings host Dave Williams (aka Dangerous Dave) said Mulray was an inspiration to those in broadcasting.

“Doug Mulray was a giant of Sydney radio. Inspiring many of my colleagues to start a career in broadcasting. Thinking of his family, friends and the team at @TripleMSydney #ripdougmulray #uncledoug”.

Brendan Jones and Amanda Keller, who host ‘Jonesy and Amanda’ on WSFM, also paid tribute to him on radio Friday. Jones also posted: “He was my inspiration, then he became my friend. The greatest in the business rest in peace, Doug.”

TV and radio personality Prue MacSween remembered her time with Mulray on the daytime panel talk show Beauty and the Beast.

“Sad to hear of the passing of (Uncle) Doug Mulray. I had the pleasure of working with him when he became “The Beast” on Beauty And The Beast. He was too nice to be a mean Beast. A funny, loveable genius. Sympathy to Lizzie & all who loved him. RIP Dougie”.

Doug Mulray was an inspiration for many in the broadcasting industry.

Author and journalist Peter FitzSimons described Mulray as “wildly hilarious”.

“Vale, Doug Mulray. Passed away overnight, after long illness. An iconic radio man, his particular ability was to be wildly hilarious while right on the edge & never blink. Privileged to co-host with hims for a couple of years. The love of his life was Miss Lizzie. Condolences.”

Andrew Denton told MediaWeek: “Doug was the apex predator of Australian radio comedy. No one was bigger, wilder, or more unpredictable. He brought joy into people’s lives which is still there 40 years later.“If the world was water, Doug was a giant Berocca.”

Andrew Denton in a video paying tribute to Doug Mulray after he was inducted into ACRA hall of fame.

Mulray also found fame with a range of TV hosting gigs including Beauty and the Beast in the 1990s, judging Starstruck and he took part in some motorsports commentary.

But many fans still remember his for his role on Australia’s Naughtiest Home Videos for the Nine Network in 1992, which led to former Nine boss Kerry Packer cancelling his show.

After just 34 minutes, when Mulray showed clips of a boy pulling a kangaroo’s testicles, the late Mr Packer rang the station and told staff: “Get that shit off the air!”

Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos which was was famously pulled from air by Kerry Packer back in 1992.

Mulray took it in his stride, later recalling: “I am the first man in Australian history to be pulled off by Kerry Packer.”

Mulray was later inducted into the Commercial Radio Australia Hall of Fame in 2019.

The cheeky radio personality said “it was about time” in his acceptance speech.

“A recognition of 15 years of partying really, imagine getting an award for having a good time, remarkable really,” he said.

Mulray is survived by his partner Lizzie and children James, Rosie and Tom.

“The family has asked that their privacy is respected at this time to deal with the fragility of their grief,” their statement said.