Bruce Forsyth

Emerging from his birthplace of Edmonton, London in 1928, Sir Bruce Forsyth earned recognition as host of the U.K.'s leading game shows and through a repertoire of signature phrases that lodged in popular culture. He stood out as the most widely admired and resilient all-round performer of his era. An early devotion to dance developed after exposure to Fred Astaire's films, leading to appearances in summer seasons, pantomimes, and dance troupes during his formative years. His breakthrough arrived in 1958 with an invitation to host the successful series Sunday Night at the London Palladium, after which steady screen presence followed. Among his long-running programs were The Generation Game, Play Your Cards Right, and The Price Is Right, while 2004 marked his appointment as co-presenter of BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing, widely viewed as his most prominent assignment. Occasional music projects yielded the albums Both Sides of Bruce (Live) and Come Get It! in the late 1970s, Mr. Entertainment in 2007, and his sole chart release, These Are My Favourites, in 2011, the year he received a knighthood for services to entertainment and charity. Poor health marked his final years, and he died at his Wentworth Estate home in Surrey in August 2017 at age 89.