Malcolm T Elliott – Radio Personality Has Died, Age 73

Malcolm T Elliott has died in Lismore, aged 73.

The long time Radio Personality boasted a long CV with stints in a number of NSW radio stations including 2TM, 2KO, 2 Double O, 2HD, 2UE, 2UW and 2GB.

In 1973 he was appointed as one of the 5 regulars of the Celebrity Squares Television Program alongside Bert Newton, Don Lane, Chelsea Brown, and Ugly Dave Gray, who gave Elliott the nickname of Malcolm T-shirt Elliott.

Vintage FM’s Drive Announcer John Bond worked with Malcolm at 2 Double O Wollongong and describes his impact on Sydney Radio during his time in Breakfast at 2UW as ‘Extraordinary’.

“He went from “nobody” to Number 1 in half the time you’d expect, with some of the most wonderful stunts ever conceived for Radio.”

The stunt he was most known for came on the 14th and 15th of January 1974, where he pretended to cut the locks on the 2UW studio doors and locked himself in 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 accept the “lock-in” as the gag it was, whilst management at other stations 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 at that time.

Vintage FM’s Senior Sales Executive Malama Psarianos worked with Malcolm at 2UW in the Record Library in the late 70s and described him as a “lovely, friendly, jovial person. Very funny and always laughing. He used to pop in to say hello to us and bring back the occasional record.”

In 1975 he was voted ‘Most Popular Radio Personality in NSW’ by TV WEEK and awarded a Logie.

Malcolm retired to the Northern Rivers in 2004 after 5 heart bypasses. He was later also fitted with a pacemaker.

He was found on August 8 at a Motel in Lismore. A coroner’s report is pending.