South Africa is mourning the loss of media giant Mark Pilgrim. With thousands of tributes flooding the time lines of social media today, and possibly for the next few days, we can’t help but notice the outpouring of love from his industry colleagues.
Pilgrim, who battled stage 4 lung cancer, was a friend of the “Reach For A Dream Foundation” where he often encouraged and motivated children with cancer.
Among the lengthy list of accolades and awards he won is also the huge legacy he left behind at every media house he worked at.
Kids-Can Cancer Foundation posted a special message in memory or Pilgrim: “🤍🕊Rest in Eternal Peace Mark Pilgrim 🕊🤍You fought stage 4 lung cancer for so long and hard, sadly passed in the early hours of this morning. Your legacy, your laughter, amazing heart, all will be spoken about for generations.”
Radio and TV presenter Bailey Georgiades remembered working with Pilgrim on the “Baldy and Bail Show” on 974: “I’ve been sitting here trying to comprehend the news of Mark Pilgrim passing away. It’s pouring with rain and it feels fitting as the feelings and memories flood in.
“My heart is shattered. 💔 Mark was not only my work husband for years when we presented the Afternoon Drive show on 947 – ”The Baldy and Bail Show“, but a great friend.
“I LOVED our time together, so many laughs, the planks all over the place (what a weird trend that was), the advice and mentoring! I remember when we had both received the news (individually in the bosses office – one after the other) that we were no longer going to be presenting the Drive show.
“You told me to meet you at your house – I cried the whole drive over – and we both sat on your couch, in a bit of shock, 1.5 hours before we were to go On Air, both feeling gutted.
“I will never forget you looking at me and saying: “Bailey … we have made a wonderful team and we will go out with our heads held high!
“We will present the last month of shows and have fun, because that’s who we are and what we do. We will help each other when it’s hard.”
Her post went on the say: “Always positive. Right to the end of everything you did. You were and always will be one of The Greats! You truly were happiest in the studio, so passionate about broadcasting, music, entertaining, you cared about your audience and I learnt so much from you.
“You were also the HAPPIEST talking about your daughters. The way your eyes lit up talking about them and seeing how proud you were of them was just the best to watch. I am heartbroken.
“You fought so hard and yet again, you stayed positive right to the end! Rest in Peace Baldy, and know that you’ve left a massive void in not only my life, but in South Africa’s.”
Former Sports presenter Sasha Martinengo, who worked with Pilgrim at 5FM, wrote: “The world of media broadcasting is a peculiar animal. You have many colleagues and associates but very few friends. It is just the nature of the beast. Mark and I worked together at 5FM for 10 years and again we worked together at Hot for a few more.
“During our careers we experienced some similarities and he and I created quite a unique bond where we became each other’s sounding boards. He was a person I could genuinely trust. That is very rare in the industry.
“We shared many gigs and tours together and always had a great amount of fun. Mark was a true professional and was dedicated to his craft. He was meticulous when it came to his show prep and ran his shows like a well-oiled machine.
“Many a young broadcaster today will have a learnt a huge amount from his dedication and professionalism. Mark was a broadcaster, not just a DJ. Whether it was TV or Radio, he was reliable, dependable and always prepared.
“I always admired his work ethic and his calm demeanour. I miss him already. He was a cheeky broadcaster and always tried to push the envelope of innuendo. Sometimes I'd cringe at some of the things that came out of his mouth on air but he had the ability to make it sound authentic. He was a great talent.
“Mark, you didn’t deserve to go through what you did. You fought through adversity since you were a young man and always came out on top. I’m so sorry that life was so short for you and believe you are free from the terrible pain you endured.
“My thoughts go to your two young girls but I know they will grow up to be tough young ladies and will always keep you close to their hearts. Although I have not met Adrienne, I'm sure she will hold you close to her heart.
“Mark, you were a wonderful broadcaster who entertained millions of people through your career and many are hurting right now just as much as your friends and family. More importantly, you were a great father and a great guy. RIP my friend.”
A former 5FM colleague, Kyle Cassim wrote: “In 2002 I met Mark Pilgrim at a fun day in Jhb, my dad told him that I too wanted to be a DJ and a 5fm presenter. He gave me a hug, let me stand in the DJ box with him then took a pen and signed my shirt. I cherished that shirt and still have it today.
“From that day I decided to follow my dreams and pursue my DJ career and many years later became a 5FM presenter. Thank you for being such an icon in the radio industry and thank you for inspiring me to be where I am today!
“I still remember the song you were playing that day 21 years ago, it was Daniel Beddingfield’s ”I gotta get through this“ You fought a good fight and remained an inspiration to us all! RIP Mark.”
The staff at HOT102.7FM put out a joint post that read: “Words cannot express the tremendous grief that the HOT 102.7FM family is experiencing over the passing of our dear friend, Mark Pilgrim.
“We pay tribute to him and celebrate a life that was well lived, for his many accomplishments, his kindness and for the privilege of knowing him.”
Words cannot express the tremendous grief that the HOT 102.7FM family is experiencing over the passing of our dear friend, Mark Pilgrim. We pay tribute to him & celebrate a life that was well lived, for his many accomplishments, his kindness & for the privilege of knowing him. pic.twitter.com/HDZv4crSrt
— HOT102.7FM (@Hot1027FM) March 6, 2023