Des Lynam worked in insurance before he turned his hand towards freelance journalism in the early 1960s.

He worked as a local radio reporter before joining the BBC in 1969, where he stayed for thirty years as first a reporter and then an increasingly popular frontman of their sport's coverage.

He began his BBC career as a boxing commentator and went on to anchor Sports Report on Radio 2, before switching to TV and becoming presenter of Grandstand, Match of the Day and Wimbledon.

He fronted numerous Olympics, World Cups and many other sporting events all over the world for the BBC.

He first presented Sports Personality of the year in 1983 and his witty presentation style and sporting knowledge endeared him to millions of viewers.

Known as "the housewives' favourite", Lynam fronted the BBC's Holiday and the lifestyle programme "How Do They Do That", before he joined ITV in 1999.

He has received many awards in recognition of his presentational style, including Male TV personality of the year in 1989 and the sports presenter of the year on five occasions.