COMEDIAN Tom O’Connor has died in hospital, aged 81.
The TV presenter and actor, who was best known for presenting shows such Name That Tune and Crosswits had Parkinson's for about 14 years said his daughter-in-law, the former athlete Denise Lewis.
He died in hospital with his family around him. They have paid tribute to him this afternoon, calling him as a 'true gentleman'.
Mr O’Connor, who was born in Bootle, Lancashire in 1939 rose to fame on TV talent show Opportunity Knocks, which he won three times.
He went on to star in The Comedians and host shows including his own Tom O'Connor Show.
He leaves a wife and four children.
He worked as a maths and music teacher at the St Joan of Arc School in Bootle and would appear as a comedian in working men’s clubs in the evening.
His big break on TV came when he appeared on The Comedians, which gave a platform to stand-up comedians working the club circuit.
Mr O’Connor went on to become one of the most popular faces on British TV during the 1970s and 80s.
He was host of some iconic shows including Name that Tune, Wednesday at 8, the Tom O'Connor Show, Gambit and Crosswits among others.
The Tom O’Connor Road Show ran at lunch times and had a peak audience of 12 million daily viewers.
He made his acting debut in 2000 in the role of Father Tom - a Catholic priest - in the BBC series Doctors.
He went on to win Celebrity Come Dine With Me in March 2010. His book ‘I Remember: the Collected Thoughts of Tom O’Connor’ was published in 2008.
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