University Challenge host Bamber Gascoigne has died at the age of 87, following a short illness.
The television presenter died at his home in Richmond, London.
The ITV star was the original host of the show, presenting from its start in 1962 until 1987, when it went off air.
Jeremy Paxman became the host of the show in 1994, when it was revived by the BBC, and he is still the face of the series now.
Bamber became known for his polite manner of questioning, as well as a number of catchphrases.
The catchphrases included: “Your starter for 10”, “fingers on buzzers” and “I’ll have to hurry you”.
(Image: Getty Images)
University Challenge wasn’t his only work in television though, as in 1977 he wrote and presented a 13-hour documentary series about the history of Christianity, called The Christians.
And in 1987 he presented a documentary series called Victorian Values, which looked at Victorian history and how it still has ties to modern times – or at least how it did in the ’80s.
He also wrote and presented the 1990 series The Great Moghuls, which looked at the Mughal Empire of India.
Much of his television work was based on books he had written, with many of his releases featuring photography by his wife Christina.
(Image: Getty Images)
Bamber married Christina Ditchburn in 1965 after they met at Cambridge University.
There’s no wonder Bamber was chosen to front University Challenge, as he won scholarships to both Eton College and Magdalene College, at Cambridge University.
It was while at Cambridge that he wrote a musical – Share My Lettuce – which went on to be produced in London, with Maggie Smith and Kenneth Williams starring in it.
And he launched a number of history-based websites including encyclopaedia HistoryWorld, and a timeline-based site called TimeSearch.
Bamber was awarded a CBE in 2018 for services to the Arts.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
