TV presenter and actor Keith Chegwin has died aged 60 after a "long-term battle with a progressive lung condition".
The entertainer, best known for hosting children's game show Cheggers Plays Pop, died peacefully at home on Monday, surrounded by his wife and two children.
In a statement, the entertainer's family said: "We are heartbroken to share the news that Keith Chegwin sadly passed away following a long-term battle with a progressive lung condition, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, which rapidly worsened towards the end of this year.
"Keith died peacefully at home shortly after midnight on the 11th of December. His wife Maria, his daughter Rose and his son Ted were by his side.
"We would like to take this opportunity to thank Severn Hospice for the kindness, support and care they have shown us all over the last few weeks.
"Keith was a loving husband, father, son, brother, uncle and friend. We would respectfully ask to be left to mourn his passing in private."
Chegwin was previously married to Tomorrow's World presenter Maggie Philbin.
In a statement posted to her website Philbin paid tribute to her former husband saying: "It is incredibly sad. Keith was a one-off – full of life, generous and with a focus on things that mattered – his family.
"I saw him two months ago at his sister Janice’s wedding, where he was still attempting to be life and soul of the party despite being on portable oxygen and made sure he knew how much he meant to us all.
"Our daughter Rose flew home from San Francisco to be with him over the last few weeks and I know he was surrounded by so much love from his second wife Maria, their son Ted, his sister Janice, his twin brother Jeff and his father Colin.
"Keith was loved by everyone who knew and worked with him. I first met him when we did a film about windsurfing when I joined Swap Shop in 1978 and was immediately struck by his fun, energy and kindness.
"He drove me home to Leicestershire from that freezing lake in Staines, insisting it was on his own way home. (He lived in Twickenham). He leaves us all with very special memories."
The presenter, who was called Cheggers by his fans, began his career as an actor, but soon became a DJ on BBC Radio 1.
Soon after he became a TV regular presenting shows such as Multi-Coloured Swap Shop in the 1970s, alongside Noel Edmonds, Tony Blackburn and Philbinn.
He also fronted his own music show, Cheggar’s Plays Pop on BBC One and co-hosted Swap Shop’s successor Saturday Superstore.
Chegwin's career fell by the wayside the late 80s and early 90s after a well-documented struggle with alcoholism which he wrote about in his autobiography Shaken But Not Stirred.
After getting himself back on track he returned to TV in 1993 with a stint on Channel 4’s hugely successful The Big Breakfast.
Other TV gigs followed including a revamp of the 1970’s gameshow It’s A Knockout.
He went on to make infamous the nudist gameshow Naked Jungle - which he later said was "the worst career move" of his life - appearing naked except for a hat.
He also starred as himself in Ricky Gervais show Extras.
Chegwin also took part in Dancing On Ice in 2013 and Celebrity MasterChef and Celebrity Big Brother in 2015.
