Mark Pilgrim was so much more than his career and cancer diagnosis – he was a dedicated and loving father, a kind South African and a friend to all.
Johannesburg, South Africa (05 March 2023) – Mark Pilgrim was a beacon of light on South African radio, giving people reasons to smile daily. The news of his tragic passing is reverberating across social media with a common thread of sadness… he really was a friend to all.
The radio legend continued to radiate hope and be an inspiration to all through his positive messages while battling stage 4 lung cancer. Sadly, Hot FM released a statement this morning confirming that the South African radio legend and good friend to Good Things Guy had passed away.
“Mark Pilgrim has just passed on. It was with great sadness that I share this news. Our hero and brother and much-loved radio personality Mark Pilgrim lost his battle with cancer this morning at 10:45. He fought valiantly to the very end. Mark passed peacefully with his fiancé Adrienne at home. They were together for his last breath. The family thank you for being part of his journey. For loving him and for celebrating him and supporting him always. Mark will be greatly missed by all. May his soul rest in peace.”
Mark had a fulfilling career, working in the entertainment industry as a DJ, voice artist, speaker, and MC both on TV and radio.
He started on radio in the mid-90s professionally, but he fell in love with the medium while on the Voice of Wits in 1989. He rose to fame and spent a decade at 5fm on various shows and he was definitely the listener’s favourite! He also added 947 Highveld, KFM, Hot919FM and finally, Hot102.7FM to his CV (while also being ‘THE HOST’ for the first two seasons of Big Brother South Africa).
The radio legend was a six-time winner at the SA Radio Awards. His final award earned him a standing ovation from the crowd and although he could not attend due to being in the ICU, he was deeply moved by the honour. For his decades of contribution to radio, Mark was also inducted into the Radio Awards Hall of Fame.
Mark was always a humble, personable presenter and host, which is what made him so likeable. The public was drawn to him and he quickly became part of people’s homes and hearts. This loss is one the nation is feeling deeply! Our condolences, love, thoughts and good wishes go out to his loved ones who are feeling the greatest loss of all.
The Dreaded C
The talented radio presenter shared his scary cancer diagnosis in February 2022 and promised to smile, even when he is afraid. He was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, which had spread to his hip and lymph nodes.
This diagnosis came after 33 years of being in remission for testicular cancer.
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In Mark’s youth, he was diagnosed with stage 3 testicular cancer, which spread to his lungs and kidneys. He fought cancer off and had been in remission until his recent diagnosis of stage 4 lung cancer. The scans revealed that he had several tumours throughout his body, so aggressive treatment was started to shrink them.
Mark swore to fight his cancer with all his might and left many in awe of his continued positivity, even on his very worst days. Aside from remaining positive, Mark shared insight into exactly how he was fighting his cancer in the hope that his journey would help others. He started making YouTube videos sharing his experiences.
While Mark may not be with us anymore, his strength and desire to care for others will live on forever in all his loving social media posts.
Mark was so much more than his career and cancer diagnosis. He was a dedicated and loving father who worked hard to give his daughters the best life. He showered them in love and support, which he often shared online too. His fiancè Adrienne was also blessed with love, support and kindness, which she too repaid in spades to him. We all loved seeing the couple share their love online.
Mark was a good friend to Good Things Guy, we highlighted all the incredible work he did with South African charities and he featured many of our articles on his show. Our hearts are with everyone who knew this phenomenal, legendary man.
“Mark was an incredible human. He was one of the first big interviews I did as a radio host back in 2015. We shared studios a couple of times over the years, him on my show and mine on his. His smile could light up a room and it did. He was such a good guy and a really good friend. Mr P, thank you for being you. Thank you for being a friend to South Africa. Today our tears belong to you.” – Brent Lindeque, founder of Good Things Guy.
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