Sunday for Sammy director Newcastle’s Geoff Wonfor dies

Newcastle director Geoff Wonfor has sadly passed away. Wonfor was the director for the Sunday for Sammy shows, the long-running charity entertainment concert which has been going since 2000, raising money for North East performing arts talent. The shows have featured high-profile Geordie people such as Tim Healy, Ant and Dec, Denise Welch and Jimmy Nail.

Sunday for Sammy issued a statement to Facebook, confirming the news of Wonfor’s death and sending their condolences to Wonfor’s loved ones. They wrote: “He was a huge presence, and we’ll miss him so much. Love to all his family, friends, and colleagues.”

Tributes have poured in for the director, from people who have worked with him. Radio presenter Geoff Lloyd called him “a straight-talking Geordie”, while South Shields comedian Jason Cook took to Instagram to post a tribute to Wonfor, calling him “the most charming, foul-mouthed, storytelling vagabond you could hope to meet.” He also explained that he looked up to Wonfor.

Wonfor had an incredibly impressive career during his lifetime, directing The Beatles Anthology, Band Aid 20’s Do They Know It’s Christmas music video in 2004 and 80s Channel 4 TV show The Tube. Wonfor went on to win a Grammy for his work with The Beatles.