DIDN’T HE DO WELL!
SIR BRUCE FORSYTH 1928-2017
HIS career spanned 75 years and touched the lives of millions.
last night fans and showbusiness friends were in mourning after the death of Sir Bruce Forsyth at the age of 89.
The former Strictly come Dancing host had been unwell for some time and had not been seen in public since late 2015.
He died yesterday at his Surrey home, with his family by his side. a statement from the star’s longstanding manager Ian Wilson said: ‘It is with great sadness that the Forsyth family announce Sir Bruce passed away this afternoon, peacefully … surrounded by his wife Wilnelia and all his children.’
But it also revealed that his sense of humour remained to the end, adding: ‘a couple of weeks ago, a
friend visited him and asked what he had been doing … 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.’
Mr Wilson said the family thanked ‘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’.
The BBC changed its schedule last night to air a tribute show on BBC1, called Mr Entertainment. On Monday, The One Show will be dedicated to Sir Bruce – who entered the Guinness World Records in 2012 for having the longest career of any male TV entertainer.
Tributes to the former Generation Game host poured in last night.
Tess Daly, who co-hosted Strictly with him from 2004 to 2013, recalled his ‘generosity, his brilliant sense of humour and his drive to entertain’. She said: ‘He was a gentleman and a true legend. I will miss him deeply.’
Comedian Jimmy Tarbuck, who visited Sir Bruce last month, added: ‘He was one of the most talented men this country ever produced.’ BBC director-general Lord Hall said the star had ‘defined Saturday night television for decades’.
Sir Bruce is survived by Wilnelia, 59, and his children – Debbie, Julie and Laura from his first marriage to Penny Calvert, Charlotte and Louisa with second wife Anthea Redfern and 30-year-old son, Jonathan with Wilnelia – as well as nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Following a fall in October 2015, he had keyhole surgery, after two aortic aneurysms were discovered.
He last appeared on Strictly for the Christmas special that year, when he recorded a video message from his home, and his final live appearance was for a Children In Need special in November 2015.
Last year he was forced to cancel several public outings due to poor health, including the funerals of his friends Ronnie Corbett and Terry Wogan.
He spent almost a week in intensive care in March, with a severe chest infection.
Last night a friend said: ‘Bruce was frail, but brave and in good spirits right up until the end. The funeral will be in the next couple of weeks but no plans have been made yet.’
Former Miss World Wilnelia, who married Sir Bruce in 1983, said last year that she hoped she would be prepared for his death ‘but it doesn’t feel real’, adding: ‘Sometimes we cry, but mostly we laugh.’
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