BBC cancel The One Show for hour long tribute to Bruce Forsyth after he dies aged 89

THE One Show has been cancelled and replaced with an hour long show dedicated to the late Bruce Forsyth.

The entertainment icon died today aged 89.

The One Show tweeted today: “There will be no One Show this evening as BBC One will now be airing a special programme in memory of Bruce Forysth.”

A statement from Bruce's manager which as released earlier said: “It is with great sadness that the Forsyth family announce that Sir Bruce passed away this afternoon, peacefully at his home surrounded by his wife Wilnelia and all his children.

“A couple of weeks ago, a friend visited him and asked him what he had been doing these last 18 months.

“With a twinkle in his eye, he responded 'I've been very, very busy... being ill!' The family would like to express their thanks to the many people who have sent cards and letters to Bruce wishing him well over his long illness and know that they will share in part, the great, great loss they feel.”

Tess Daly, who started working with Bruce on the BBC dancing show in 2004, led the tributes to the icon. 

She said in a statement: “There are no words to describe how heartbroken I am to be told the saddest news that my dear friend Sir Bruce Forsyth has passed away.

“From the moment we met, Bruce and I did nothing but laugh our way through a decade of working together on Strictly Come Dancing and I will never forget his generosity, his brilliant sense of humour and his drive to entertain the audiences he so loved.”

“He has been there for me as a co-host, a mentor but most importantly as a friend and I’m extremely fortunate to have worked alongside the man who defined Saturday Night Entertainment for so many decades.

“He was a gentleman and a true legend. I will miss him deeply. My heart goes out to Winnie his wife and his beautiful family at this sad time.”

Claudia Winkleman told her followers: “He was the King of TV, the Prince of performers and the most generous of people... all toe-tapping twinkle, all kindness, all love....

“The Bruce you saw really was the man he was. We'll miss him so much.”

Former Miss World Wilnelia was with Bruce for 36 years, and was his biggest support in recent months.

Speaking about his health more recently, she told the ‘s YOU magazine: “The operation took his energy because of his age, there’s no question about it. Some days are better than others. On the not-so-good days, he tries to rest.”

Sir Bruce was born the son of a garage owner in Edmonton, north London in 1928 and first appeared on TV aged 11.

At just 14-years-old he made his debut as The Mighty Atom, which was a solo song and dance act.

Bruce’s big break came in in 1958 aged 30, when he joined ITV’s Night At The Palladium, and hosted a number of family favourite shows such as Play Your Card’s Right, The Price Is Right, You Bet!, and The Generation Game.

During the height of his fame in the 1970s he became renowned for the phrases, "Nice to see you, to see you nice," and "Didn't they do well?"

He holds the Guinness World Record for the longest TV career, after it spanned 75 years from 1939 to 2014.

In 1998, Bruce was given and OBE and then went on to receive a knighthood in 2011.

Bruce suffered two life-threatening aneurysms just months ago, leaving him bed-bound and forcing him to cancel a string of public appearances.

While recovering from keyhole surgery, he even missed close friend Ronnie Corbett’s funeral earlier this year.

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