‘Carte Blanche’ presenter Derek Watts passed away

Derek Watts, a beloved and well-respected Carte Blanche presenter has died. The awful news of Derek Watts’ passing has devastated the whole industry, especially his former coworkers, who are grieving the loss of their beloved Derek Watts.

To find out more about the late Derek Watts, his history, his cause of death, the people who confirmed it, and much more, keep reading this article!

Who was Derek Watts?

The South African television presenter Derek Watts, who was born in Hillbrow, is best known for his work on the program Carte Blanche. He was also a media trainer, a guest speaker, and an MC.

Derek Watts was born in the metropolitan community of Hillbrow in Johannesburg, Gauteng. When he was five years old, his family relocated to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second-largest city, where he spent his formative years.

He worked a few jobs in his early 20s. Derek worked for a plastics industry, studied computer operations, and served in the army. In Zimbabwe, he began writing for The Herald.

Later, he returned to SABC television news. They started a new show two years after M-Net’s debut and asked Ruda and Watts to host it.

For more than 34 years, Watts has been employed with the current affairs show Carte Blanche. He served as a cub reporter for Rhodesia Herald in 1974.

Derek served as a company commander and adjutant in the Army. He spent four years as a sub-editor for SABC TV News. He was a sports anchor as well.

In 1988, Derek received a call from legendary producer Bill Faure inquiring about a new show on a new channel. Along with Ruda Landman, he co-anchors the Carte Blanche on M-Net.

The show Carte Blanche has received both national and international popularity and has won numerous awards. The program gave investigative journalism in South Africa a fresh face.

Derek Watts has worked in journalism for more than thirty years and is well-known in the community.

His Networth

The seasoned television personality made a fortune, appeared in numerous series, and has worked in the field for a very long period. His projected net worth as of September 2022 is R3.5 million, according to Wiki SA.

How did Derek Watts die? What was his cause of death?

On August 22,2023, veteran journalist and TV host Derek Watts passed away.

Kirsty Watts, Watts’ daughter, reportedly confirmed this in a Whatsapp message to Netwerk 24. They are broken, she claimed. He was the most admirable person they had ever met.

“He always cared about people, and last night he said that he would like to thank his viewers,” Kirsty said Netwerk24 in the Whatsapp message. He enjoyed and valued his work. Because to his work on Carte Blanche, he has gained widespread recognition.

The information was also confirmed on Facebook by the television show Carte Blanche.

“It is with profound sadness that we confirm the passing of Carte Blanche anchor and icon, Derek Watts. He passed away peacefully on Tuesday morning surrounded by loved ones. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his wife and children in this time of loss. He will forever hold a special place in the hearts and minds of his #CarteBlanche family. @MNet #RIPDerekWatts.”

Derek Watts was such a truly wonderful person. He was endearing, humorous, disarming, smart and always maintained his integrity. He was sincerely interested in everyone’s well-being whenever he encountered them. He was a legend in South African journalism, but more significantly, he was a terrific guy. Our sympathies are with Belinda ,kids and the Carte Blanche family.

Derek Watts cause of death

Derek Watts lost his fight with cancer and passed away. In order to prioritize his health, he recently announced that he was quitting from Carte Blanche. This came after he was hospitalized earlier this year with sepsis. His lungs were affected by skin cancer that was discovered last year. He was brought to the ICU earlier this year following a suspected stroke.

Watts posted a photo of himself lying in a hospital bed and wrote, “Looks scary, but collapsed with suspected stroke in Hoedspruit 14 days ago and dispatched to super-pro Milpark Hospital ICU.” He said he had “severe sepsis which destroyed the bod in an hour” and was currently relearning how to walk.

Watch a message that Derek Watts sent two months ago when he discusses his health:

Watts spoke openly about his health in an interview with the publication Rapport, according to News24. In 2022, he claimed, he felt a lump beneath his arm, but he ignored it and put off seeing a doctor. He only sought medical assistance after Belinda, his wife, kept pressing him to do so.

When that happened, the lump had considerably expanded, and a sonar scan had shown spots on his lungs. Unfortunately, the lump could not be medically removed because of its close proximity to nerves. He then started a treatment plan that lasted for more than a year and started with immunotherapy.

Watts’ lung capacity has been decreased as a result of the cancer, and he now occasionally needs to use an oxygen machine. He had to temporarily cease chemotherapy despite his physicians’ recommendations to resume it in order to prevent a flare-up of sepsis.

With the help of his family, Watts managed to remain optimistic despite these difficulties.

Tyrone and Kirstin Watts’ spouse Belinda and children are still alive. A statement from his family is anticipated to be released soon.

Tributes to Derek Watts

Many people expressed their profound sympathies to his family and expressed how much they loved him. The news of this occurrence has upset his supporters and fans.

Bongani Bingwa, a colleague and fellow broadcaster of Watts, extended his condolences to the Watts family.

“One of the kindest, most generous professionals to ever do it. The room disappeared when he spoke to you. Even as a colleague, he made me feel like I was Mother Theresa. Condolences to Belinda and his children, Tyrone and Kirstin.” 

Channel M-Net wrote: “M-Net extends its heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies to the family, friends, and loved ones of the late, Derek Watts. We remember him as a dedicated investigative journalist and a longstanding presenter of Carte Blanche. His unwavering commitment to his work and his determination in the face of challenges were truly remarkable. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time. May they find solace in the cherished memories they shared and may Derek’s legacy continue to inspire us all.”

Mandy Weiner wrote: “Derek Watts was just such a genuinely nice guy. He was charming, funny, disarming and witty. Interviews with him were never boring. He was authentic always. Whenever I saw him he was genuinely interested in how I was. A journalism icon in SA but importantly just a great guy. Thoughts with his Carte Blanche family, Belinda and kids. You brought so much light.”

One of the worst things anyone can go through in life is losing a loved one. Any journey must have a destination at the end. The person’s time on earth has regrettably come to an end now that they have died. We wish him eternal peace and send our thoughts and prayers to his loved ones, family, friends. May he rest in peace.

Visit our website frequently to read more articles of similar type, and don’t forget to leave comments for Derek Watts’s cherished family as they go through this difficult period.

KEEP READING,

Susan ‘Toots’ Ople Cause of death: How did the DMW Secretary die?

Thato Mogotsi passed away after went missing, Pretoria woman reportedly found dead

Follow us on Twitter to get the latest news.