Keith Chegwin Dead: Stars Pay Tribute To TV Presenter 'Cheggers' Following His Death, Aged 60

'A kind, funny, brave man who seized the day.'
|

Friends of TV presenter Keith Chegwin have been paying tribute to the TV star, following his death at the age of 60.

In a statement, his family said the star had passed away following the long-term battle with a progressive lung condition, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, which rapidly worsened towards the end of this year.

Open Image Modal
Keith Chegwin (1957-2017)
Rex

They said: “Keith died peacefully at home shortly after midnight on the 11th of December. His wife Maria, his daughter Rose and his son Ted were by his side.

“Keith was a loving husband, father, son, brother, uncle and friend. We would respectfully ask to be left to mourn his passing in private.”

Among the first to pay their respects was his ex-wife, Maggie Philbin, who Keith met and fell in love with when the pair co-hosted ‘Multi-Coloured Swap Shop’ in the 1970s. 

Open Image Modal
Keith and Maggie pictured in 1982 after they announced their engagement.
PA Wire/PA Images

In a statement on her official website, the TV presenter said he was a “one off”, and recalled seeing him just a matter of weeks ago.

“I saw him two months ago at his sister Janice’s wedding, where he was still attempting to be life and soul of the party despite being on portable oxygen and made sure he knew how much he meant to us all,” she wrote.

She added: “Keith was loved by everyone who knew and worked with him. He leaves us all with very special memories.”

Some of the most well known names from the world of showbiz also paid tribute on Twitter...

RIP: Stars We Lost In 2017
JANUARY(01 of46)
Open Image Modal
John Hurt
Actor (b.1940)
(credit:Karwai Tang via Getty Images)
JANUARY(02 of46)
Open Image Modal
Gordon Kaye
Actor, star of 'Allo Allo' (b.1941)
(credit:Mirrorpix via Getty Images)
JANUARY(03 of46)
Open Image Modal
Mary Tyler Moore
Actress (b.1936)
(credit:Ron Galella, Ltd. via Getty Images)
FEBRUARY(04 of46)
Open Image Modal
Peter Skellern
Singer/Songwriter (b. 1943)
(credit:PA Archive/PA Images)
FEBRUARY(05 of46)
Open Image Modal
Al Jarreau
Musician and singer (b. 1940)
(credit:Reuters Photographer / Reuters)
FEBRUARY(06 of46)
Open Image Modal
Richard Hatch
'Battlestar Galactica' star (b. 1957)
(credit:Albert L. Ortega via Getty Images)
FEBRUARY(07 of46)
Open Image Modal
Bill Paxton
Actor (b.1955)
(credit:Danny Moloshok / Reuters)
FEBRUARY(08 of46)
Open Image Modal
Tara Palmer-Tomkinson
Socialite (b. 1971)
(credit:David M. Benett via Getty Images)
MARCH(09 of46)
Open Image Modal
Joni Sledge
Singer in Sister Sledge (b. 1957)
(credit:Fred Prouser / Reuters)
MARCH(10 of46)
Open Image Modal
Tony Haygarth
Actor (b. 1945)
(credit:Rex/Shutterstock)
MARCH(11 of46)
Open Image Modal
Chuck Berry
Musician (b. 1926)
(credit:EMPICS Entertainment)
APRIL(12 of46)
Open Image Modal
Erin Moran
'Happy Days' star (b. 1960)
(credit:ABC Photo Archives via Getty Images)
APRIL(13 of46)
Open Image Modal
Toby Smith
Jamiroquai co-founder (b. 1970)
(credit:Ron Galella, Ltd. via Getty Images)
MAY(14 of46)
Open Image Modal
Chris Cornell
Soundgarden frontman (b. 1964)
(credit:EMPICS Entertainment)
MAY(15 of46)
Open Image Modal
Sir Roger Moore
Actor, James Bond star (b. 1927)
(credit:Albert L. Ortega via Getty Images)
MAY(16 of46)
Open Image Modal
Robert Michael Morris
Actor (b. 1940)
(credit:Michael Tran via Getty Images)
MAY(17 of46)
Open Image Modal
Molly Peters
Actress (b. 1942)
(credit:United Artists via Getty Images)
JUNE(18 of46)
Open Image Modal
John Noakes
'Blue Peter' legend (b. 1934)
(credit:Martyn Goodacre via Getty Images)
JUNE(19 of46)
Open Image Modal
Roy Barraclough
Actor, 'Coronation Street' veteran (b. 1935)
(credit:Max Mumby/Indigo via Getty Images)
JUNE(20 of46)
Open Image Modal
Peter Sallis
Actor (b. 1921)
(credit:Rex)
JUNE(21 of46)
Open Image Modal
Gregg Allman
Musician (b. 1947)
(credit:EMPICS Entertainment)
JUNE(22 of46)
Open Image Modal
Barry Norman
Film critic (b. 1933)
(credit:PA Wire/PA Images)
JUNE(23 of46)
Open Image Modal
Adam West
Actor (b. 1928)
(credit:Mike Coppola via Getty Images)
JULY(24 of46)
Open Image Modal
Martin Landau
Actor (b. 1928)
(credit:PA Wire/PA Images)
JULY(25 of46)
Open Image Modal
Carol Lee Scott
Actress and Grotbags star (b. 1943)
(credit:Rex)
JULY(26 of46)
Open Image Modal
Chester Bennington
Linkin Park singer (b. 1976)
(credit:EMPICS Entertainment)
JULY(27 of46)
Open Image Modal
John Heard
Actor (b. 1946)
(credit:PA Wire/PA Images)
JULY(28 of46)
Open Image Modal
Pudsey the dog
'Britain's Got Talent' winner and canine performer
(credit:PA Wire/PA Images)
AUGUST(29 of46)
Open Image Modal
Bruce Forsyth
Entertainer and presenter (b. 1928)
(credit:PA Wire/PA Images)
AUGUST(30 of46)
Open Image Modal
Sam Shepard
Actor (b. 1943)
(credit:Hulton Archive via Getty Images)
AUGUST(31 of46)
Open Image Modal
Glen Campbell
Country singer (b. 1936)
(credit:EMPICS Entertainment)
SEPTEMBER(32 of46)
Open Image Modal
William G Stewart
'Fifteen To One' presenter
(credit:Rex)
SEPTEMBER(33 of46)
Open Image Modal
Hugh Hefner
Playboy founder (b. 1926)
(credit:EMPICS Entertainment)
SEPTEMBER(34 of46)
Open Image Modal
Tony Booth
Actor (b. 1931)
(credit:Rex)
SEPTEMBER(35 of46)
Open Image Modal
Liz Dawn
'Coronation Street' legend (b. 1939)
(credit:Mark Cuthbert via Getty Images)
SEPTEMBER(36 of46)
Open Image Modal
Frank Vincent
Actor (b. 1937)
(credit:EMPICS Entertainment)
SEPTEMBER(37 of46)
Open Image Modal
Tom Petty
Musician (b. 1950)
(credit:Michael Kovac via Getty Images)
OCTOBER(38 of46)
Open Image Modal
Fats Domino
Musician (b. 1928)
(credit:PA Archive/PA Images)
OCTOBER(39 of46)
Open Image Modal
Sean Hughes
Comedian (b. 1965)
(credit:Dave Hogan via Getty Images)
DECEMBER(40 of46)
Open Image Modal
Johnny Hallyday
Musician aka 'The French Elvis' (b. 1943)
(credit:Christie Goodwin via Getty Images)
DECEMBER(41 of46)
Open Image Modal
David Cassidy
Singer and actor (b. 1950)
(credit:EMPICS Entertainment)
DECEMBER(42 of46)
Open Image Modal
Keith Barron
Actor (b. 1934)
(credit:PA Wire/PA Images)
DECEMBER(43 of46)
Open Image Modal
Antonio Carluccio
Chef (b. 1937)
(credit:PA Wire/PA Images)
DECEMBER(44 of46)
Open Image Modal
Malcolm Young
AC/DC founder and guitarist (b. 1953)
(credit:PA Wire/PA Images)
DECEMBER(45 of46)
Open Image Modal
Keith Chegwin
TV presenter (b. 1957)
(credit:Doug Peters/EMPICS Entertainment)
DECEMBER(46 of46)
Open Image Modal
Leon Bernicoff
'Gogglebox' star (b. 1934)
(credit:Mike Marsland via Getty Images)