Journalist and broadcaster Rod Liddle has died after a short illness at the age of 66. Liddle was a high-profile columnist on The Sunday Times and The Sun, and had a weekly column in The Spectator, as well as a Times Radio show. Rebekah Brooks, chief executive of News UK, said: “Everyone at News UK is deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the sudden death of Rod Liddle. “Whether writing for The Sunday Times and The Sun or broadcasting on Times Radio, he challenged conventional thinking and left an indelible mark on British journalism. Liddle left the BBC before Gilligan’s controversial report was broadcast.