Death of Johnny Young, creator and host of Young Talent Time, aged 79
Consensus Summary
Johnny Young, the creator and host of the iconic Australian television show Young Talent Time, died aged 79 in 2026 after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. Born in 1947 in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Young migrated to Australia with his family after World War II and settled in Perth. He began his career in the 1960s as a teen idol, hosting The Go!! Show after Ian Turpie's resignation and winning a Logie in 1967. Young also achieved success as a songwriter, penning hits like Step Back, The Real Thing, and Smiley. In 1971, he launched Young Talent Time, a show that ran until 1988 and launched the careers of stars such as Tina Arena, Dannii Minogue, and Debra Byrne. The show was known for its wholesome family entertainment and signature closing song, All My Loving. Young was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Logies Hall of Fame in 1990. He is survived by his wife Marisha, sister Cornelia, daughters Anna and Fleur, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren, as well as his late son Craig, who died in 2014. Tributes from former cast members like Arena and Minogue highlighted Young's mentorship and lasting impact on Australian entertainment.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Johnny Young died aged 79 following a brief battle with pancreatic cancer
- Young Talent Time ran from 1971 until 1988
- Johnny Young was born in 1947
- Young Talent Time launched the careers of Tina Arena, Dannii Minogue, and Debra Byrne
- Johnny Young was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2010
- Johnny Young was married to Marisha at the time of his death
- Johnny Young had a son named Craig who died in 2014
- Johnny Young recorded a version of The Beatles' All My Loving in 1967
- Johnny Young won a Logie for Best Teenage Personality in 1967 for his work on The Go!! Show
- Johnny Young was inducted into the Logies Hall of Fame in 1990
- Johnny Young was born in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and migrated to Australia after World War II
- Johnny Young hosted The Go!! Show in the 1960s after Ian Turpie's resignation
- Johnny Young wrote and produced iconic hit songs including The Real Thing and Smiley
- Young Talent Time featured a core group of performers and hopeful young contestants
- Johnny Young was survived by his wife Marisha, sister Cornelia, daughters Anna and Fleur, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Johnny Young was born Johnny Benjamin De Jong
- Johnny Young had a son Craig who died (date not specified in ABC, but mentioned in other sources)
- Johnny Young won a Logie for Best Teenage Personality for his work on The Go!! Show in 1967
- Johnny Young's family asked for privacy and said the details of a memorial service would be announced soon
- Johnny Young was born on March 12, 1947, the youngest of four children in the family of John and Anna de Jong
- Johnny Young's father was forced to work in an arms factory during World War II, and his mother had an affair with a 17-year-old named John de Vries
- Johnny Young worked as a department store clerk and trainee radio disc jockey before becoming the compere of Club 17 in 1965
- Johnny Young signed with the Clarion record label in 1966 and formed a backup band, Kompany
- Johnny Young wrote Step Back, which became the year’s best-selling single in Australia in 1967
- Johnny Young briefly lived in London with the Bee Gees and recorded Craise Finton Kirk in 1967
- Johnny Young returned to Australia in 1968 at the age of 23
- Johnny Young became a drive-time DJ for 3XY Melbourne in 1968
- Johnny Young wrote The Girl that I Love for Russell Morris, who rejected it in favor of The Real Thing
- The Real Thing became Australia’s top-selling song of 1969
- Johnny Young wrote Smiley, an anti-Vietnam ballad for Ronnie Burns
- Johnny Young started the Johnny Young Talent School in 1977 in Richmond, Melbourne
- Johnny Young was charged in the Philippines in 1993 for breaching tourist visa conditions
- Johnny Young became a breakfast announcer at Magic 693-FM in 1994
- Johnny Young was married to his first wife, Jane, from 1964 to 1970, and his second wife, Kathy, from 1972
- Johnny Young was married to Marisha in the early 2000s
- Johnny Young's production company went bankrupt in 1992
- Johnny Young was criticised for introducing Debbie Byrne to child stardom pressure, which contributed to her heroin problems
- Johnny Young said in 2011 that he was careful never to cross a certain line with young performers
- Johnny Young said in 1986 that all 22 former members of the Young Talent Team were currently employed
- Johnny Young's show was cancelled in 1989 due to competition from Hey! Hey! It’s Saturday
- Johnny Young said in 2011 that he was relieved the show ended after 25 years of daily work
- Johnny Young's family statement mentioned his death was following a brief battle with pancreatic cancer
- Johnny Young's son Craig died of pancreatic cancer aged 48
- Dannii Minogue first appeared on Young Talent Time on her eighth birthday in 1979
- Tina Arena first appeared on Young Talent Time in 1974 and joined the main cast three years later
- Johnny Young was described as a 'force of nature' by Russell Morris, who collaborated with him on The Real Thing and Part Three into Paper Walls
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The ABC and Guardian state Johnny Young died aged 79, while SMH and THEAGE do not explicitly state his age but confirm his birth year as 1947, which aligns with dying aged 79 in 2026
- SMH states Johnny Young was born in 1947 and died in 2026, while ABC and Guardian do not explicitly state his birth year but confirm his age at death as 79, which aligns with 1947 birth year
- SMH states Johnny Young's son Craig died in 2014, while Guardian states Craig died aged 48, which aligns with 1967 birth year (1967 + 48 = 2015), but SMH does not mention age at death
- SMH states Johnny Young was married to Marisha in the early 2000s, while ABC and THEAGE do not specify the timing of this marriage
- SMH states Johnny Young's production company went bankrupt in 1992, while no other source mentions this detail
Source Articles
Breaking: Young Talent Time host Johnny Young dies
Young Talent Time host Johnny Young has died aged 79 following a brief battle with pancreatic cancer.
There was more to Johnny Young than Young Talent Time. He also wrote one of Australia’s biggest hit songs
Before he created Young Talent Time, Johnny Young was one of Australia’s most popular teen idols of the 1960s and wrote the hit 1969 song The Real Thing.
Johnny Young, host and creator of Young Talent Time, dies aged 79
The singer-songwriter and producer also wrote several Australian hits, including The Real Thing for Russell Morris Johnny Young, the singer-songwriter and producer who created and hosted the popular variety show Young Talent Time, has died aged 79. Young’s family announced his death in a statement on Friday, saying that Young died “following a brief battle with pancreatic cancer”. Continue reading...
‘A beautiful legacy’: Tina Arena and Dannii Minogue pay tribute to Young Talent Time legend Johnny Young
Young’s family announced his death on Friday morning.
‘A beautiful legacy’: Tina Arena and Dannii Minogue pay tribute to Young Talent Time legend Johnny Young
Young’s family announced his death on Friday morning.