Sydney radio star Malcolm T Elliott has died at the age of 73 in Lismore.
Malcolm hosted the breakfast show on 2UW Sydney from 1972-76, and again from 1978-79 alongside Peter Shanahan and Tony Dickinson.
He is best known in the radio industry for his “24 hour lock-in” prank where he pretended to cut the electric locks on the 2UW studio doors, and locked himself in the studio for 24 hours. Thousands of people filed through the studios to see him, and people all over Sydney turned off their television sets and “watched” the radio.
The public seemed to readily accept the “lock-in” as the gag it was, while management at other stations local and interstate believed that he had taken over the station. It resulted in a spike in the next ratings figures which took 2UW to its highest ever breakfast rating to that time.
Aside from radio, Elliot also regularly appeared on television, most notably on ‘Celebrity Squares’ with Bert Newton, Don Lane, Chelsea Brown, and Ugly Dave Gray.
Sydney radio personality Malcolm T Elliot has died. He was found dead in Lismore. Elliott rose to prominence hosting the breakfast show on 2UW for most of the 70s. He was aged 73. https://t.co/OF81oZFF1j #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/VkAsAZWNYY
— 7NEWS Sydney (@7NewsSydney) August 8, 2019
Malcolm T Elliott was a big figure in Sydney radio. A great entertainer and fearless, sometimes a bit too fearless! He got into strife a fair bit for things he did and said but always had the listener wondering what he’d do next. Never dull or predictable. @7NewsSydney pic.twitter.com/oXjFvMh2P9
— Jason Morrison (@JasonMorrisonAU) August 8, 2019
Sydney Radio star Malcolm T Elliott has died, 73. Malcolm hosted breakfast show on 2UW for most of the 70s. In the 90s and early 2000s he was a host on 2GB then later at 2UE. He was part of the TV comedy game show “Celebrity Squares”. A fun bloke to work with. @7NewsSydney pic.twitter.com/TDVf9juJ7c
— Jason Morrison (@JasonMorrisonAU) August 8, 2019
