Michael Wynn-Jones, Delia Smith’s husband and Norwich City honorary life president, dies aged 85

Michael Wynn-Jones, a former journalist and the husband of TV chef Delia Smith, died peacefully at home on Monday, aged 85, Norwich City said. The club added it was "deeply saddened" by his death.

Wynn-Jones held the title of honorary life president at Norwich City and lived with Smith near Stowmarket in Suffolk; the couple had been married for more than 50 years. Norwich City’s statement said the family were grateful for care provided by the community nursing team at St Elizabeth hospice in Ipswich and offered condolences to Delia and Tom [Smith, the couple’s nephew].

The pair were involved in the club’s football and off-field direction for decades: the couple oversaw several promotions to the Premier League for the Canaries and, the club said, helped put Norwich City on a solid financial footing. While Smith occupied a more visible public role at the club, Wynn-Jones was reportedly regarded as a trusted adviser and an influential figure in the boardroom.

Former Norwich player Darren Huckerby paid tribute on social media, posting that Wynn-Jones "stayed out of the limelight but all at Norwich City FC owe him so much". Norwich City Fans Social Club issued a statement saying: "All of us at NCFSC are devastated to hear the news about Michael Wynn-Jones passing. Michael is a true NCFC legend and what he did for the club cannot be underestimated. We are thinking of Delia, Tom and all of Michael’s family at this incredibly sad time. Rest in peace, Michael."

Wynn-Jones had a background in journalism, working for titles including the Daily Mirror and the Spectator, and he founded his own publishing company. He began attending Norwich City matches in April 1955 at the age of 13 and later wrote fondly about the club’s unlikely run to the FA Cup semi-final in 1959.

Delia Smith told BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs in 2021 that she and Wynn-Jones had bonded over their passion for food and football, and she said she rarely cooked at home, leaving Wynn-Jones to hover over the stove while she went "to the end of the garden".

At the family’s request, the club asked that "their privacy be respected at this difficult time."