Comedian Tom O’Connor has died aged 81, his family has announced.
The entertainer, born in Bootle, Merseyside, was best known for presenting a number of hit gameshows including Crosswits and Name That Tune.
O’Connor died on Sunday morning, his family confirmed via his agent.
After starting his career in working men’s clubs, O’Connor eventually broke into television on shows including The Comedians and Opportunity Knocks.
He then went on to establish himself as a household name through the 70s and 80s including in Pick Pockets and The Zodiac Game.
O’Connor hosted Name That Tune from 1976 until 1983.
Later in his career O’Connor continued to appear on television, starring in BBC soap Doctors in the early 2000s and the celebrity edition of Come Dine With Me in 2010.
In 2011 he also appeared on the Pointless Celebrities quiz show with his daughter-in-law Denise Lewis, who is a former Olympic athlete.
Lewis told the BBC there has been “such an outpouring of affection for Tom” following his death.
She added: “His whole mantra was about making people laugh. If you met him that’s all he wanted to do, which is make you feel good about yourself, which is a cherished quality which we don’t probably see enough of today.
“He lived with Parkinson’s for about 14 years and we saw him coping very well and in the latter couple of years, it really started to take a hold and it’s tragic.
“But without a doubt, Tom always tried to make light of it and even at the end, when he lost his battle with the disease, you could see that spark in his eyes, that humour still coming through those eyes of his right to the end.”
Liverpool City Council also paid tribute to O’Connor in a post on its official Twitter page.
“Sad news breaking about the death of veteran Liverpool comedian Tom O’Connor,” it said.
“Our thoughts are with his family and friends. Thanks for the laughs, Tom.”
