Young Forsyth: Destined for a life as an entertainer

He made his television debut in 1942 and took to it instantly.

On a BBC chat show, young Forsyth explained: "I want to be famous and buy my mum a fur coat."

Playing the ukulele, accordion and banjo, he spent 20 years performing in church halls, sleeping in luggage racks and waiting for his big break.

When he received the call in 1958 to host Sunday Night at the London Palladium Forsyth was on the verge of leaving showbusiness.

He was booked for two weeks, and ended up staying five years, by which time he was Britain's highest paid entertainer, earning �1,000 a week.

Clowning at the London Palladium

One of his Palladium roles, refereeing Beat the Clock, gave a hint of Forsyth's future television role.

He went on to host some of the most popular television games shows of the 70s and 80s.

He reigned supreme at the helm of the BBC's Generation Game from 1971 to 1977, and again at the beginning of the 90s. At its peak, the programme attracted 20 million viewers.

Forsyth's catchphrases "Nice to see you, to see you nice" and "Didn't he do well?" are recognised in every household and all feature in the latest edition of the Oxford Dictionary of 20th Century Quotations

Forsyth married his television hostess Anthea Redfern and would weekly ask her to "Give us a twirl".

"What do you do, my love?"

He repeated his success on ITV's Play Your Cards Right.

Former TV boss Michael Grade once said of Forsyth: "He knows how to get laughs out of people, but it's never cruel and he leaves their dignity intact."

In 1994 Bruce left the BBC to join ITV, following a row with bosses at the corporation.

But in 1995, a year after his final Generation Game appearance, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award for Variety, and three years later an OBE.