TRIBUTES have been paid to “king of TV” Sir Bruce Forsyth who died yesterday afternoon at the age of 89.
In a statement, his manager Ian Wilson said: “It is with great sadness that the Forsyth family announce that Sir Bruce passed away this afternoon, peacefully at his home surrounded by his wife Wilnelia and his children.
“A couple of weeks ago, a friend visited him and asked him what he had been doing these last 18 months. With a twinkle in his eye, he responded, ‘I’ve been very, very busy... being ill!’ Unfortunately, not long after this, his health deteriorated and he contracted bronchial pneumonia.
“The family would like to express their thanks to the many people who have sent cards and letters to Bruce wishing him well over his long illness and know that they will share in part, the great, great loss they feel.”
Forsyth was taken to hospital in March and spent five nights in intensive care at St Peter’s Hospital in Surrey after developing a severe chest infection, according to reports.
He underwent surgery in 2015 after he suffered two aneurysms, which were discovered when tests were carried out following a fall at his Surrey home.
The veteran entertainer has been out of the limelight over the past few years and in 2016 was too frail to attend the funeral of close friends Ronnie Corbett or Sir Terry Wogan and was unable to appear on a special episode of Strictly Come Dancing, the show he presented for nearly 10 years. His retirement from that show was the end of a lifetime in showbusiness.
It was as host of ITV’s Sunday Night at the London Palladium in 1958 that he really first became a household name, and started a six-decade career as the king of weekend light entertainment.
He took the helm of BBC flagship show The Generation Game from 1971 until 1977 and again at the beginning of the 1990s. At its peak, the show attracted more than 20 million viewers. Sir Bruce first started out in showbusiness at the age of 14 with a show called Boy Bruce, the Mighty Atom and made his first TV appearance as a child in 1939.
Yesterday, some of those who had worked with him over the years paid tribute.
Tess Daly, who co-presented Strictly for 11 years with Sir Bruce said she would never forget his “drive to entertain”, adding: “There are no words to describe how heartbroken I am to be told the saddest news, that my dear friend Sir Bruce Forsyth has passed away,” Daly said. “From the moment we met, Bruce and I did nothing but laugh our way through a decade of working together on Strictly Come Dancing and I will never forget his generosity, his brilliant sense of humour and his drive to entertain the audiences he so loved.
“He has been there for me as a co-host and a mentor but, most importantly, as a friend and I’m extremely fortunate to have worked alongside the man who defined Saturday night entertainment for so many decades. He was a gentleman and a true legend and I will miss him deeply. My heart goes out to Winnie, his wife, and his beautiful family at this sad time.”
Claudia Winkleman, who replaced Forsyth when he stepped down, tweeted: "He was the King of TV, the Prince of performers and the most generous of people... all toe-tapping twinkle, all kindness, all love.”
BBC director general, Tony Hall, said: “Sir Bruce was one of the greatest entertainers our country has ever known. He has delighted millions of people and defined Saturday night television for decades”.
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