Sir Terry Wogan passes away aged 77

He said in a statement: “So here we are on the 36th edition of Children in Need, every one of which I’ve been proud to present since it started in 1980, and for the first time I won’t be there to cheer you on with word and gesture to another record-breaking year”.

Sir Bruce Forsyth said: “Terry was such a great broadcaster and part of our lives for so many years. His warmth, wit and geniality meant that for millions he was a part of the family”, Mr Hall said.

Wogan’s BBC radio show Wake Up to Wogan had an audience of eight million, making him the most listened-to radio broadcaster in Europe before his departure in 2011.

He helped raise millions of pounds for charity, hosting the BBC’s annual “Children In Need” appeal since it launched more than 30 years ago. “He leaves a remarkable legacy”.

British Prime Minister David Cameron also posted on the social media site, “My thoughts are with Terry Wogan’s family”.

He said: “Today we’ve lost a wonderful friend”. I always rang him before and after his races and the horse got lots of plugs on the radio. “His charm and wit always made me smile”.

Meanwhile, speaking to This Morning live from Enniskillen, Terry’s close friend, Father Brian D’Arcy, explained how he paid his final visit to the star last week.

In the 1960s, he was taken on by BBC, and began an incredibly long successful career in radio and television, which spanned decades.

WOGAN was best known as the host of “WAKE UP WITH WOGAN“, his morning show for BBC RADIO 2, which reached the largest audience in EUROPE until his 2009 retirement.

Nigel Smales, author of a history of the village, Taplow Moments – for which Sir Terry wrote the foreword – said: “This was a sanctuary to him and Helen in that he was a big, famous person but he came here to be private, and everybody respected that”. What a nice man” while skybluetony176 said: “RIP Terry.

Ryan Tubridy has opened up about the huge influence Sir Terry Wogan had on his career in a moving tribute to the broadcaster.

“I remember sitting in the Radio 2 studio once, the sun was filing through the window, and I remember thinking to myself “how the heck did I get here?”

“It was never forced with Terry Wogan, he was exactly the same off air as he was on air”, she added.

He said: “He was one of the most thorough, educated, friendly, charitable gentlemen I’ve ever met”. Funny, sharp, warm, inspiring and so much fun to be around.

He continued to work for the network and made his last broadcast on November 8 previous year.

Fellow presenter Jeremy Vine shared this story about Terry: “Someone asked him how many listeners he had”.

“It is just one of those things – it feels very unusual today”. If you want to say something, say something nice about me.

“I was very glad of that opportunity”. When I hear the news I was so shocked that I just wept. One said simply: “Terry!”