The British television presenter and charity fundraiser Jeremy Beadle has died in hospital after a short battle with pneumonia. He was 59.
The host of shows such as 'Beadle's About', 'You've Been Framed' and 'Game for a Laugh' had suffered ill health in recent years, having been diagnosed with cancer in 2005.
His wife, Sue, and close friends were at his bedside.
Paying tribute to Jeremy Beadle, his 'Game for a Laugh' co-presenter Henry Kelly said: "Jeremy and I were firm friends for nearly 30 years. I loved and admired him and I shall miss him desperately."
Kelly continued: "Not only was he a terrific colleague in our 'Game for a Laugh' days and beyond, but he was a most wonderful friend to have and the most entertaining company you could possibly imagine."
Noel Edmonds, Jeremy Beadle's TV ratings rival in the 1980s, said his passing was "a sad loss for TV and a great shame that a new audience have lost Jeremy Beadle".
Paying tribute, he continued: "He was a consummate professional but also a greatly misunderstood man - a great TV talent who was never truly appreciated. I was always astonished at his ability to raise funds for charity. Nobody in showbusiness raised more money than him."
It is estimated that Jeremy Beadle helped to raise £100m for various charities during his life, and was a significant fundraiser for Children with Leukaemia.
The charity's founder, Eddie O'Gorman, said: "Jeremy was not only a close personal friend and an extraordinary entertainer, he was one of the most dedicated supporters this charity has ever seen. Children with Leukaemia would not be the charity it is today without Jeremy Beadle. He will be sorely missed."
