It’s been nice to know you Brucie, a part of all our lives
Tributes pour in as veteran performer dies at 89, after making first appearance on the small screen at 11
SIR BRUCE FORSYTH has died aged 89, bringing down the curtain on the longest career in British showbusinesses.
The veteran broadcaster, star of The Generation Game, Sunday Night at the
London Palladium and Strictly Come Dancing, died peacefully at home, with his wife and six children by his side, following a long illness. Tributes poured in for the “king of television” last night, as his former colleagues marked the end of a broadcasting era.
Sir Bruce, who made his first appearance on the small screen in 1939 at the age of 11, had all-but retired from television after a long period of ill health.
Despite swapping jokes with a friend recently, he contracted bronchial pneumonia and died yesterday afternoon. Ian Wilson, his manager, said in a statement: “It is with great sadness that the Forsyth family announce that Sir Bruce passed away this afternoon, peacefully at his home surrounded by his wife Wilnelia and all his children.
“A couple of weeks ago, a friend visited him and asked him what he had been doing these last 18 months. 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.
“The family would like to express their thanks to 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.”
His Strictly Come Dancing co-stars were among those paying moving tribute to Sir Bruce.
Tess Daly, who described herself as “heartbroken” over the loss of her “dear friend”, said: “From the moment we met, Bruce and I did nothing but laugh our way through a decade of working together on Strictly Come
Dancing and I will never forget his generosity, his brilliant sense of humour and his drive to entertain the audiences he so loved.” Claudia Winkleman, who took over from Sir Bruce when he retired from the show in 2014, said: “He was the king of TV, the prince of performers and the most generous of people… All toe-tapping twinkle, all kindness, all love. The Bruce you saw really was the man he was. We’ll miss him so much.”
Lord Hall, the BBC’S director-general, said: “Sir Bruce was one of the greatest entertainers our country has ever known. He has delighted millions of people and defined Saturday night television for decades, with shows like The Generation Game and, most recently, Strictly. His warmth and his wit were legendary.
“I’ve never seen anyone quite like him when it comes to performing in front of a crowd. He had a remarkable chemistry with his audience – that’s what made him such an amazing professional and why he was so loved. He has been part of all of our lives, and we’ll miss him dearly.”
Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, said: “Sad to hear of Sir Bruce Forsyth’s death. A tireless charity campaigner, Sir Bruce was Mr Saturday Night and it was always nice to see him.”
Sir Bruce leaves behind his wife, known to friends as Winnie, six children, nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Until his illness of the last few years, Sir Bruce had been in good health thanks to an exercise regime devised by Tibetan monks. He said in 2010: “I don’t want to grow old gracefully, I want to put up a bit of a fight.”
In 2015, he underwent keyhole surgery after suffering two aneurysms, discovered after a fall. He had further surgery in 2016. In March, he spent five nights in intensive care at St Peter’s Hospital in Surrey after developing a severe chest infection. Unwilling to return to the limelight until he was back to full strength, the veteran entertainer was too frail to attend the funeral of close friends Ronnie Corbett and Sir Terry Wogan.
Last year, Lady Wilnelia told a newspaper Sir Bruce struggled to move but still enjoyed talking to his family. “The pain is more emotional,” she said. “Sometimes we cry, but mostly we laugh.” His death brings an end to the longest showbusiness career for any male entertainer, officially recorded in Guinness World Records in 2012.