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DES O’CONNOR HAS passed away at the age of 88, days after the “best entertainer” suffered a fall at his home.
The television star, who enjoyed decades in the spotlight, died yesterday in the hospital, said his agent and family friend Pat Lake-Smith.
O’Connor was on television with shows such as Today With Des And Mel and Des O’Connor Tonight, and also hosted Countdown.
His agent said in a statement to the Palestinian Authority news agency: “It is with great regret that I confirm that Des O’Connor passed away yesterday.
“He had been admitted to hospital just over a week ago, following a fall at his home in Buckinghamshire.
“He was recovering well and had been in a good mood, visited by his family, in accordance with hospital closure regulations, and eager to go home.
“Unfortunately, last night his condition suddenly deteriorated and he peacefully walked away while he was sleeping.”
O’Connor hosted his own primetime television shows for more than 45 years. He first ran his own show in 1963, while the success of his singing career saw him sell 16 million records and spend 117 weeks in the top 10 of the charts.
The four-time-married star appeared on stages around the world, including hundreds of shows at the London Palladium.
He had his own American television show and his Des O’Connor Tonight chat show was a staple of British television for a quarter century.
He also hosted the Channel 4 quiz show Countdown with Carol Vorderman, and the couple retired together in 2008.
At age 72, the chat show host became a father again to his fiancee Jodie Brooke Wilson.
The couple married later, when O’Connor was 75 and Wilson 38.
He had four daughters from his three previous marriages.
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Melanie Sykes, who headlined Today With Des And Mel alongside O’Connor, paid tribute to him, saying it was “an education and a privilege to work with him.”
She wrote on Instagram: “Des had the softest hands I have ever met and the kindest heart.
“He had talent in every fiber of his being and was stubborn as a mule. It was the full ticket as a friend and colleague.
“When he chose me to be his co-host on the daytime show ‘Today’, it was one of the best days of my professional life. It was an education and a privilege to work with him for the next several years.
“We worked long hours, but we always laughed a lot, especially since when it was show time, he always told me he looked like a robber dog! These years I will never forget or forget it. Dear Des, we will miss you forever. Melanie x “.
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