In pictures: Sir Bruce Forsyth
- Published
Sir Bruce Forsyth set his eyes on a showbusiness career from an early age, appearing on a TV talent show as early as 1939 and travelling around the country after World War Two performing at theatres.
Among his more varied roles was his appearance on the BBC light entertainment radio show Educating Archie, which featured ventriloquist Peter Brough and his dummy Archie Andrews. The show, which ran from 1950 to 1958, regularly attracted 15 million listeners.
Seen here on stage with The Beatles in 1963, Sir Bruce became a household name with his first major TV show, variety programme Sunday Night at the London Palladium, which he compered in the early 1960s.
Sir Bruce hosted Play Your Cards Right on ITV between 1980 and 1987, and also its revival, which ran from 1994 until 2003. The show saw couples quizzed on popular surveys before guessing whether the answer to the next question was higher or lower than the playing card on display. It also featured the "Dolly Dealers", whose job it was to lay out and turn the cards.
Sir Bruce was the original presenter of The Generation Game, which started in 1971, until Larry Grayson took over in 1978. He returned to present it in 1990 for another five years, before the baton was handed over to Jim Davidson.
As well as hosting various variety shows, Sir Bruce also starred in other popular light entertainment programmes. In 1972 he appeared on The Morecambe and Wise Show Christmas Special, usually one of the most-watched programmes of the year.
Sir Bruce was a seasoned golfer, seen here at Wentworth Golf Club, Surrey, with his wife Wilnelia. Their home is just next to the golf course.
The Generation Game saw couples competing in a series of tasks, such as pottery or cake decorating, with a couple eliminated at the end of each round. The winning pair got to take part in the conveyer belt game, taking home any of the items that they could remember, usually including a cuddly toy.
Sir Bruce once said he regretted doing so many game shows, although they did allow him to spend more time with his family, as they could be recorded in a fortnight. He said he wished he had done more shows like his one-off special with Sammy Davis Jr in 1980.
Sir Bruce has been married three times, including to Anthea Redfern, his second wife, whom he wed in 1973. He met the former Page 3 model and Playboy Bunny on the set of The Generation Game.
Sir Bruce married third wife Wilnelia Merced, a former Miss World from Puerto Rico, in 1983. They have a son together.
The couple were married for more than 30 years and Wilnelia has always said her husband was young for his age.
Sir Bruce presented a number of episodes of Have I Got News For You, including one which included a segment called "Play Your Iraqi Cards Right".
Sir Bruce became known to a new generation of TV viewers as a result of co-hosting Strictly Come Dancing on BBC One, with Tess Daly. He hosted the show from 2004 to 2014, with occasional returns for Christmas and charity shows.
In 2008, Sir Bruce was awarded a Bafta Fellowship for "keeping viewers of all ages entertained for decades".
In 2011 he was knighted, which came after he was made an OBE in 1998, and a CBE in 2005.
Sir Bruce remained a national institution, partly thanks to Strictly Come Dancing. He was invited to carry the Olympic torch during its tour of the UK in 2012. The then-84-year-old danced a few steps with the flame and jogged a short distance before handing it over to the next runner.
Mark Linsey, director of BBC Studios, once called Sir Bruce "the all-time master and commander when it comes to Great British entertainers".
- Published18 August 2017
- Published18 August 2017
