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RTÉ News
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Broadcaster and former BBC executive Alan Yentob dies aged 78
Former BBC executive and TV presenter Alan Yentob, who commissioned shows such as Absolutely Fabulous, Ballykissangel and Have I Got News For You, has died at the age of 78, his family has announced. Yentob joined the BBC as a trainee in 1968 and held positions as controller of BBC One and BBC Two, director of television, head of music and arts, as well as the director of BBC drama, entertainment and children's. A statement from his family, released by the BBC, said Yentob died on Saturday 24 May. His wife Philippa Walker said: "For 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." During his tenure at BBC2, he was credited with the revitalisation of the channel with commissions like Absolutely Fabulous, starring Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley, arts series The Late Show and Have I Got News For You, which later moved to BBC One. He also launched CBBC and CBeebies. His drama commissions included Middlemarch and Pride And Prejudice - which cemented actor Colin Firth's status as a heartthrob - as well as Ballykissangel, and he also took the decision to cancel Spanish-set soap Eldorado in 1993. He also previously edited and presented the arts documentary series Imagine from 2003. In 2015 he stepped down as BBC creative director, saying at the time that his role at the charity Kids Company was a "serious distraction". Yentob, who was chairman of trustees at the charity, faced scrutiny over his role as well as claims he tried to influence coverage at the corporation of its troubles. He always insisted there was no conflict of interest in his decision to call Newsnight about its investigation into Kids Company and had not "abused my position at the BBC". The BBC's director-general Tim Davie said: "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." Yentob was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters from De Montfort University, Leicester in 2005. In 2024 he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by the King for services to the arts and media. BBC Radio 4 presenter, Amol Rajan, paid tribute to Yentob with a video on Instagram and a caption that described him as "such a unique and kind man: an improbable impresario from unlikely origins who became a towering figure in the culture of post-war Britain. "Modern Art never had a more loyal ally. His shows were always brilliant, often masterpieces, sometimes seminal. So much of Britain's best TV over 5 decades came via his desk. That was public Alan. In private, he was magnetic, zealous, and very funny, with a mesmerising voice and mischievous chuckle. "He oozed fortitude until the very last. "He had his foibles and failures, but Alan Yentob was one of the most generous, influential, singular, passionate, supportive, creative and loved men of his generation.
RTÉ News
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Victoria Smurfit and Rivals cast worried about letting Rivals author down as they had too much fun filming
Victoria Smurfit has discussed how much fun Rivals was to make and how the cast were mindful of not letting author Jilly Cooper down. Rivals based on Jilly Coopers novel by the same name was set against the backdrop of the drama and shocking antics of the power-grabbing social elite of 1980s England, the story delves into the cut-throat world of independent British television in 1986. Speaking on the Lorraine TV show the 101 Dalmation actress said: "No scenery was left unchwewed by (her character) Maud, When you are an actress playing an actress, I feel like you have licence to chew all the furniture and you are playing with such incredible people." "You know, Aidan Turner is my husband, drop the mic." The Ballykissangel star added. Asked if she had read the Jilly Cooper books, The Beach actress said:" I devoured them,I read them all, my mum had them, I'd steal them, Where on earth, where is Rivals? " I'd take it out from under the bed, 'mum you left it in the kitchen', gaslighting her, but yes, no, I loved them all and when I heard it, they were casting - I sort of begged my agent to please get me in there." Speaking about the cast having an absolute blast and how it wasnt like work. and how that sometimes does'nt translate into screen, Lorraine asked was this a worry? The Bloodlands actress said: "100% that was the secret fear, we all had, we've all had far too much fun for this to be any good and you know to be able of us wanted to let Jilly down. "We are all deeply in love with her, she is the most glorious, sprightly, funny, smart, naughty, she is divine, and none of us wanted to let her down. so We all secretly worried that it would'nt translate as we had too much fun. Thankfully it did, I think the world really needed a good laugh." The About a Boy actress explained.
