Lord of the Dance
Autumn memorial service at Westminster Abbey will hounour the late great Sir Terry Wogan
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Autumn memorial service at Westminster Abbey will hounour the late great Sir Terry Wogan

A MEMORIAL service is to be held for the late Irish broadcasting legend Sir Terry Wogan at London’s Westminster Abbey in September.

The BBC has announced the thanksgiving event will take place on September 27th, which also coincides with the 50th anniversary of the first radio broadcast the star did for the Corporation.

Sir Terry, who died from cancer aged 77 in January was the face of the BBC’s Children in Need for over 30 years and also fronted several other televisions shows including, Wogan and the Eurovision Song Contest.

He also presented Britain’s most popular breakfast radio show ‘Wake up to Wogan’ up until his semi-retirement in 2009 when he moved to his Sunday show.

The Radio Academy Festival at the British Library has also been rescheduled to avoid a clashing with the memorial service.

A BBC spokesperson said: "As a mark of respect to Sir Terry Wogan - one of the great figures of British broadcasting - and to avoid in any way detracting from the service of Thanksgiving being held for him at Westminster Abbey, the Radio Festival, which was due to take place on the same day, will now be moved."

Fellow countryman Graham Norton, who took over from Sir Terry’s infamous Eurovision commentary role in 2008, is expected to raise a glass of Buck’s Fizz to the late star during this Saturday’s event in Sweden.

“When I am doing the commentary I still hear Sir Terry in my head as I am sure lots of other people do too,” Norton told the Independent.

“I think this year it will be bittersweet because we will all be thinking of Terry and I am sure I will say a few words about him as the night goes on as it is a night that will forever be associated with him,” he added.