Veteran Greek journalist and television presenter Giorgos Papadakis died on Sunday at the age of 74 after suffering a massive heart attack, hospital officials said.

Papadakis collapsed in the Kolonaki district of central Athens and was transferred by ambulance to Laiko General Hospital, where doctors made prolonged efforts to resuscitate him but were unable to save his life.

According to a statement from the hospital, emergency services were alerted at 5:15 p.m. local time. A rapid-response motorcycle unit arrived within minutes, followed shortly by an ambulance. Papadakis was found without signs of life and underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation en route to the hospital.

Papadakis was one of the most recognisable figures in Greek television, closely identified with morning news shows for more than three decades. Born in Athens in 1951, he began his career in print journalism before moving into television in the 1980s.

He rose to national prominence in 1992 as the host of “Kalimera Ellada” (Good Morning Greece) on ANT1 television, a programme widely credited with shaping modern morning news broadcasting in Greece. He remained at the helm of the show until his retirement last year, later continuing to appear as a commentator on the network’s main evening newscast.

In a statement, ANT1 paid tribute to Papadakis, describing him as a journalist who “left an indelible mark on Greek television” and a figure who combined journalistic rigor with a strong sense of public responsibility.

Tributes also poured in from colleagues and public figures, who hailed him as a mentor, a pioneer of live television journalism and a defining voice of daily news for generations of viewers.