Former BBC chairman and controller Michael Grade has paid tribute to Terry Wogan ahead of a memorial service to the late Irish broadcaster at London's Westminster Abbey next week.
The Limerick man passed away in January at the age of 77 after a short battle with cancer.
Speaking to the British entertainment magazine The Radio Times, Grade described Wogan as "authentic - the real deal" and "a joy to work with, a joy to be with socially".
Grade said the service at Westminster Abbey would be a fitting tribute, and that Wogan's "living memorial" was his work with charity Children in Need.
"Over the years Children in Need has raised over £638 million, but today it's easy to forget that giving on such a scale had never happened before in British broadcasting - and finding someone viewers would give their money to wasn't easy," he said.
"Of course, once Terry got hold of Children in Need, it just took off and he was so proud of what it became."
Grade attributed Wogan's success as a broadcaster to his ability to listen, and the fact that people trusted him.
"I suppose you could say he was a TV personality. I hate that phrase because it rather undersells his talent," continued Grade.
"He was a great broadcaster and absolutely nothing could throw him.
"One of his great strengths was that if things were going wrong, he'd own up. He wouldn't try and pretend to the viewers that everything was fine. He told you the truth - even if it made him look silly.
"That was the beauty of him hosting the Eurovision Song Contest: he told the truth. He did it with charm and dignity but he'd say - 'Well, this is a load of old tosh, isn't it?' And we'd say, 'You're absolutely right, Terry'."
