Alan Yentob dead: BBC presenter and director dies as family issue statement

BBC presenter and former director of television Alan Yentob has died at the age of 78. His family announced via the BBC that Yentob died on Saturday, May 24, with his wife Philippa Walker stating: "For [our children] Jacob, Bella and I every day with Alan held the promise of something unexpected. Our life was exciting, he was exciting.

"He was curious, funny, annoying, late and creative in every cell of his body. But more than that, he was the kindest of men and a profoundly moral man. He leaves in his wake a trail of love a mile wide."

After joining the BBC as a trainee back in 1968, Alan held an incredible number of positions with the broadcaster, including controller of BBC One and BBC Two, director of television and director of BBC drama, entertainment and children's. He commissioned Absolutely Fabulous and Have I Got News for You during his tenure, and launched kids' channels CBBC and CBeebies.

Alan was also a familiar face on-screen, presenting art documentary series Imagine from 2003. But in 2015 he stepped down as the BBC's creative director to focus on charity work.

BBC director general Tim Davie paid tribute to Alan with a touching statement, which read: "Alan Yentob was a towering figure in British broadcasting and the arts. A creative force and a cultural visionary, he shaped decades of programming at the BBC and beyond, with a passion for storytelling and public service that leave a lasting legacy.

"For nearly 60 years Alan championed originality, risk-taking and artistic ambition. From Arena to Imagine, from commissioning groundbreaking drama to giving emerging voices a platform, his influence is woven into the fabric of British cultural life. He believed profoundly in the BBC's role as a home for creativity, curiosity and the arts - accessible to all.

"But Alan was more than a pioneering creative - he was an unforgettable presence. Engaging, witty and endlessly curious, he brought energy and warmth to every conversation. He was generous with his time, fierce in his convictions, and full of joy in the work of others.

"To work with Alan was to be inspired and encouraged to think bigger. He had a rare gift for identifying talent and lifting others up - a mentor and champion to so many across the worlds of television, film and theatre. Above all, Alan was a true original. His passion wasn't performative - it was personal. He believed in the power of culture to enrich, challenge and connect us.

"We have lost one of the great creative spirits of our time. But his programmes, his voice, and the generations he inspired, will live on. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones. Alan will be hugely missed as a friend, a colleague, and one of the defining figures in the story of British culture."