Katie Boyle Dead: Eurovision Song Contest Host Lady Saunders Dies, Aged 91

She hosted the music event four times, including during Abba's victorious year.

Former Eurovision presenter Katie Boyle has died at the age of 91.

On Tuesday (20 March), a representative for Katie - who was also known as Lady Saunders, following her marriage to Sir Peter Saunders - had died peacefully at her home.

Katie Boyle0
Katie Boyle0
REX/Shutterstock

Posting the news on her Twitter account, Katie’s publicist wrote: “I am very sad to announce the death of Katie Boyle (Lady Saunders) who I was proud to represent in the latter days of her working career, and counted as a friend.

“The Italian-born actress, TV personality, agony aunt, game show panellist and dog lover, died peacefully at home.”

Katie was best known for her presenting stints at Eurovision, having hosted the show four times in the 1960s and 70s when it was held in the UK, including the 1974 final, which saw Abba emerge triumphant following their performance of ‘Waterloo’.

She also appeared on panel and quiz shows like ‘What’s My Line?’, ‘Juke Box Jury’ and the medical game show, ‘Lance That Boyle’, on which she appeared alongside comedian Lance Percival.

Decades later, in 2004, Katie appeared on a Eurovision special of the BBC quiz show ‘The Weakest Link’, and became the first and only contestant in the show’s history to eliminate herself.

As well as her career as a television personality, Katie also had a career as an actress in the 1950s, and served as an agony aunt for TV Times magazine.

In 1979, Katie tied the knot with theatre impresario Sir Peter Saunders, with whom she was married until his death in 2003.

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