LAST GOODBYES TO ALL HIS CLOSE FRIENDS... Winnie held Bruce’s hand as he died

day, with our cup of tea and digestives, and he chatted to me and made sure I felt at ease. He was so knowledgeable and happy to pass on any information. I loved the fact that I was able to learn.

“One of the great things about Bruce is that he is a taskmaster but he encouraged a happy atmosphere. Everybody who worked on The Generation Game had such special times. We just loved it. It all came from Bruce.”

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Rosemarie recalled how during the summer holidays, Wilnelia would bring his children to the studio for dress rehearsals and they would join in with the games.

“Those were such special times,” she said. “The kids used to pretend to be the contestants.

“He has been up and down and been on a rocky road with his health for a little while now. But despite that I think his death will certainly hit his family hard. They were so close. His girls adored him. Winnie is the most beautiful, warm-hearted, caring person. I think she’s going to find it hard because she’s been incredibly strong for him.

“I think losing Bruce will hit her, and the rest of the family, hard.”

Rosemarie said she would love to see a room in the Palladium – where Bruce had his first big TV break in 1958 as host of ITV’s Sunday Night at the London Palladium – named after him. “There must be some room in the Palladium that we can name after Bruce,” she said.

“An area which has his name on, with a beautiful plaque that will stay there for ever. He made the Palladium even more famous. It was his second home. It was the place he really loved.”

Another of Bruce’s pals, the TV presenter Gloria Hunniford, said: “Winnie has been the most devoted wife to Bruce. They were so good together. She gave up her own successful life in Puerto Rico to be a wife and a companion to Bruce.

“She was a great wife and in recent times supported him so much. She was dedicated to Bruce. It was a love story. For the last year she has been very dedicated to looking after him on a daily basis. When he was ill he didn’t let many people in.

“Bruce wanted his friends to remember him as he was. People were very respectful of how he felt about that.

“They kept it private on purpose. I believe Jimmy Tarbuck saw him at one point and our mutual friends saw him at one point but it was mainly family around him and that’s the way he wanted it.

“The word legend is misused sometimes but Bruce really was a legend and will r remain a legend.

“There are very few entertainers who do everything and Bruce was that man man. He could sing and dance and play the p piano. “H“He was so good at putting peo people at ease and making them lau laugh. There are all his catchph phrases we will remember. T There will never be anyone li like him.”