Giorgos Papadakis Dies at 75 After Cardiac Arrest
A leading figure in Greek journalism, Giorgos Papadakis died at age 75 after going into cardiac arrest while in Kolonaki. Medical teams at Laiko Hospital attempted to revive him for more than 30 minutes. Efforts to restore his heartbeat did not succeed despite continuous resuscitation attempts.
A Journalist Who Defined Morning Television
Greek viewers followed Papadakis for 34 years through Kalimera Ellada, the longest running show on Greek television. Born on 4 February 1951 in Chalandri, he carried deep family roots from Crete. His career began in print journalism and expanded into television with his debut in the 1980s on Treis ston Aera alongside Semina Digeni and Nasos Athanasiou.
Television audiences saw him take on a central role at ANT1 from 1992 to 2025, presenting Kalimera Ellada until 2011 before hosting Proino ANT1 between 2011 and 2015. The morning news program returned to the name Kalimera Ellada on 7 September 2015 at his own request, and he remained its presenter until 4 July 2025.
A Family Man
His personal life remained a constant point of reference, as his wife Tina Papadeli stood by his side throughout his career. Their 2 sons, Iasonas and Phoebus, pursued creative and journalistic paths of their own. An earlier marriage had given him another son, Konstantis, who made him a grandfather twice.
