James Bond star Roger Moore dies aged 89 after battle with cancer

007 actor Sir Roger dies aged 89 after short battle with cancer

Former Bond girl Jane Seymour has paid tribute to Sir Roger Moore, whom she fondly described as “my Bond”.

The 007 actor died in Switzerland yesterday at the age of 89 after a short battle with cancer.

Seymour starred with Sir Roger in 1973’s Live and Let Die, his first as the M16 agent, and she spoke of her devastation upon learning of his death.

Along with a picture of the two of them together, the actress wrote on Instagram: “I am devastated to learn of Roger Moore’s passing.

“The first leading role I ever had as a Bond girl was such a new and frightening world and Roger held my hand and guided me through every process.”

She said he taught her “about work ethic and humility”, adding that he was “funny, kind and thoughtful to everyone around him”.

“In that Roger taught me what a movie star really was and should be,” she added.

“Through his lifelong work with Unicef he showed me the true meaning of being a humanitarian and giving back. “He was my Bond.” Adding to the tributes was TV star and ChildLine founder Dame Esther Rantzen, a friend of Sir Roger, who told the Press Association that she will remember him “with a smile”.

She said: “I think the smile, particularly because humour was his trademark, not that he was bland. He was very bright, but it was always such a pleasure to meet him and see him in action films.

“You just remember him and his smile.”

Sir Roger’s three children – Deborah, Geoffrey and Christian – confirmed the actor’s death in a post shared on his official Twitter account.

The statement read: “It is with a heavy heart that we must announce our loving father, Sir Roger Moore, has passed away today in Switzerland after a short but brave battle with cancer.

“The love with which he was surrounded in his final days was so great it cannot be quantified in words alone.”

They said they would focus their attentions on supporting his wife, Kristina, and added that there will be a private funeral held in Monaco in “accordance with our father’s wishes”.

Sir Roger was the longest-serving actor to play the womanising spy, having portrayed 007 in seven films.

Picture: PA. Sir Roger Moore and his wife Kristina. The former James Bond actor died yesterday in Switzerland.