Sir Tom Jones pays heartfelt tribute to 'wonderful man' after beloved star dies
Sir Tom Jones has penned an emotional message after the death of the BBC executive and television presenter Alan Yentob, who sadly died at the age of 78 earlier this week
Sir Tom Jones has paid a poignant homage to the legendary BBC executive and television presenter Alan Yentob, who died over the weekend. The TV icon's family shared the sad news on Sunday with an heartfelt statement, announcing that Alan had died at the age of 78.
The 'Delilah' singer, 84, turned to social media to pay tribute to the "talented and knowledgeable" Alan. Posting to Instagram, Tom wrote: "The very sad loss of Alan Yentob is immeasurable. What a talented, knowledgeable, instinctive and wonderful man. He opened unexpected doors for me for which I am forever grateful. A true rarity in the creative world, the likes of which will not be seen again."
He concluded with the words: "Rest in peace Alan, you will be missed, Tom Jones". In the past, Tom made an appearance on Alan's prominent BBC Two programme 'Imagine', where, in a sincere exchange in 2010, the interviewer delved into the crooner's life story, reports the Express.
Tom spoke about his rise from his modest roots as a miner's son in South Wales to his emergence as an international singing sensation and a symbol of virility.
During his illustrious career, Alan depicted and chatted with a plethora of significant figures in culture and creativity for television series including 'Omnibus', 'Arena', and 'Imagine', featuring personalities such as David Bowie, Charles Saatchi, Maya Angelou, and Grayson Perry.
His roles extended to being in charge of both BBC One and Two, as well as fulfilling duties as the corporation's creative director and head of music and arts.
Alan's bereaved spouse, Philippa Walker, announced his passing, revealing: "For Jacob, Bella and I, every day with Alan held the promise of something unexpected. Our life was exciting, and 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."
Dawn French also paid tribute to her former BBC colleague Alan, writing: "We've lost a tip top chap. Our advocate from the start... Alan Yentob."
Alan's wife Philippa said in a statement at the weekend: "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."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
27 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Brooklyn Beckham was 'very much man of the house' and Victoria 'relied on him'
Brooklyn Beckham was said to have been a real rock for Victoria Beckham, before met his now wife Nicola Peltz - but the dynamics have now changed, according to reports Victoria Beckham"relied on Brooklyn" and he became "very much man of the house" when his parents were experiencing marriage problems, an insider claimed. Brooklyn was reportedly his mum's rock throughout his childhood, a connection which jars with the tension-laden picture right now as the Beckhams feud continues to play out in public. The strain has become so deep for Victoria, 51, that she is said to have experienced sleepless nights recently. Throughout Victoria and David's well-documented marital troubles, it is understood Brooklyn, now 26, offered great support to his mother. Katie Hind, a journalist, told the Daily Mail's Beckham Breakdown: Inside the Family Feud on its YouTube page: "She really relied on Brooklyn and he was the man of the house and he very much lived up to that while David was away and I think at the time they were having difficulties in their marriage. They had moved back to London, David was away and Brooklyn was a real rock for her." The relationship has changed since Brooklyn, a former model, met Nicola Peltz in 2019 at Leonardo Di Caprio's Halloween party. They married three years later and, last month, Brooklyn and Nicola missed David's 50th birthday celebrations, which cast the spotlight on the family conflict. It is a huge contrast to Brooklyn and Victoria's bond when he grew up. It is said they were "absolutely inseparable," and Victoria even took her son to the Glamour Awards in 2013 when he was just 14. The latest installment of the Daily Mail's Entertainment YouTube show explores this relationship and its change over time. It highlights how the bitter feud had been kept secret until the birthday no-show, after which Brooklyn has expressed his love for Nicola, 30, in a gushing Instagram post. The aspiring chef wrote: "I always choose you baby, you're the most amazing person in the world, me and you forever baby." But hours after the post, Cruz, the Beckhams' youngest son waded in on the row for the first time by writing an Instagram post in support of his parents. The 20-year-old aspiring muscian penned: "I love my family. I love you guys more than anything, mum and dad you gave us life and cared for us no matter what, I cannot tell you how blessed we are to have you in our lives." When Brooklyn and Nicola went to a dinner party at a home in Montecito, California, they met Prince Harry, and the Duke of Sussex reportedly offered the couple his "unwavring support" in the row. This encounter is understood to have left former England captain David "absolutely furious" as he and Victoria hace had a feud with Harry and Meghan Markle in the past.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Pregnant YouTuber Wizard Liz dumps Landon Nickerson after crushing discovery
YouTuber Wizard Liz has dumped Landon Nickerson after learning he was cheating on her while she's expecting their child. The pair announced their engagement last autumn with a series of posts on Instagram hearkening their upcoming nuptials. 'I've never been happier,' Nickerson said. 'Thank you God.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop.
Daily Record
4 hours ago
- Daily Record
Meghan Markle shares 'guilt' over money and admits she 'will never have enough'
Meghan Markle has opened up about her feelings on money, admitting that she struggles to adopt a mindset where she can believe in the 'promise of something more for herself' As Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, continues to embrace her entrepreneurial journey, the proud mother-of-two has been candid about her experiences in the public eye. From offering a peek into her daily diet on her Netflix show, to sharing heartwarming glimpses of her home life on social media, Meghan has given fans an insight into what it's like to live as a member of the Royal family - even discussing more sensitive topics such as finance. Despite being a successful actress in her own right and married to a Prince, Meghan is far from living hand-to-mouth. However, that doesn't mean she hasn't faced challenges, particularly when striving for financial independence. In the season finale of her podcast 'Confessions of a Female Founder', Meghan had a conversation with Sara Blakely, the billionaire founder of shapewear brand Spanx. During their chat, 54 year old Blakely urged listeners to become more "self aware" and scrutinise their attitudes towards money, reports the Express. "A lot of people don't even realise they have not great narratives around success or around obtaining a lot of financial freedom and money for themselves," she noted, adding that she wanted to be able to invest in herself. The Duchess of Sussex, aged 43, expressed her views on financial independence, stating: "But that is so hard to understand because, I genuinely believe, I would love to adopt that level of a mindset where as you're talking about even, for a lot of people, not being able to buy into the hope or the promise of something more for themselves in financial freedom." Meghan went on to discuss the societal pressures women face regarding money: "I think so many women, especially, we're taught to not even talk about money, and there's lots of guilt mentality surrounding having a lot," she added. "And at the same time, there's a scarcity mindset that it's easy to attach to, of like, 'I'll never have enough.' ". Sara shared her own philosophy with Meghan: "I always tell women, in particular, I say: 'Money is really fun to make, really fun to spend and really fun to give away.' I think money makes you more of who you already were." Despite her considerable wealth, Meghan's insights on finance may surprise some admirers, particularly considering her transformation since marrying Prince Harry in 2019. Before her Royal nuptials, Meghan was estimated to be worth around £3.7million, thanks largely to her acting career, including her role in the first seven series of the TV show Suits. However, following their decision to step back from Royal duties in 2020, Meghan and Harry announced their intention to "work to become financially independent," seeking greater autonomy over their lives, a journey not without its challenges. During a candid conversation with Oprah Winfrey one year following their relocation to the US, Prince Harry disclosed that he had been "literally cut me off financially" by the Royal family after they stepped back from Royal duties, expressing gratitude for the inheritance from his late mother Princess Diana, which made their move possible. "Without that, we wouldn't have been able to do this," he remarked, alluding to their 2020 shift to Montecito, California. Since their transatlantic switch, both the Duke and Duchess have inked profitable contracts with Netflix and Spotify alongside unveiling an explosive memoir, although Harry confessed the commercial ventures weren't initially in their blueprint. "From my perspective, all I needed was enough money to be able to pay for security to keep my family safe," he shared with Winfrey.
