GRUMPY Old Men creator Stuart Prebble has sadly passed away aged 74.
The former ITV chief executive’s family confirmed he died last week after battling pancreatic cancer.
GettyTV producer and author Stuart Prebble has sadly died at the age of 74[/caption]
AlamyStuart became chief executive of ITV in 2001[/caption]
Tributes have flooded in for the influential television figure, who was hailed as a “talented and distinguished” journalist.
Political broadcaster Michael Crick posted on X: “One of the most distinguished TV journalists of modern times”.
Another penned: “One of Britain’s best TV journalists, editors, investigators and original minds: fabulous sense of humour has died.
“RIP Stuart Prebble: Editor of World in Action and creator of Grumpy Old Men and @sky Landscape Artist.”
A third added: “What I remember most about Stuart was at Ncle Uni he lead the weekly debate on Saturday evenings in the debating chamber at the students’ union.
“No topic was too daft, too serious or too controversial. He was a superb public speaker who could think on his feet. RIP.”
On his website, Stuart spoke fondly of his career, which saw him work across a variety of high-profile positions at the BBC and ITV.
He wrote: “I’ve travelled to some of the most difficult and dangerous places in the world.
“I’ve met every Prime Minister from Harold Wilson to David Cameron. I’ve made Joan Bakewell laugh and Joan Rivers cry.
“Someone told me early on that it would all be fun, and if it wasn’t fun, it would be interesting.
“Most of it was fun and interesting. Some was just fun. Some was just interesting.
“In writing it all down, I have the words of my old headmaster ringing in my ears. ‘You’re not funny, Prebble, and you’re not clever.’”
“He was probably right then, and he’d probably be right now. It’s not funny and it’s not clever. But it’s all as true as I can remember it.”
Stuart started working in TV after he left Newcastle University in 1974.
From here, he joined the BBC as an on-screen reporter and journalist.
He then moved to ITV, where he produced the World In Action series and became commissioning editor for factual programmes.
World In Action saw him earn a BAFTA nomination and he won ‘best factual series’ RTS award for Network First.
On his website, he jokes that he was finally “enticed to wear a suit” when he became the organisation’s chief executive in 2001.
But a year later, he left ITV to set up his own television company, Liberty Bell.
It was then he created the hugely popular TV series Grumpy Old Men, which featured middle-aged men discussing life’s irritations.
It was based on a survey which highlighted that the “grumpiest” people in the UK were aged between 35 and 54.
Contributors to the show included Jeremy Clarkson, Nigel Havers, Bob Geldof and Rick Stein.
Speaking on the age range, Prebble said: “They’re grumpy about everything from squid-brained traffic wardens to body-piercing…
“…from predictive texting to people who take phone calls in the cinema.”
It ran for three years, inspiring a host of more “Grumpies” programmes such as Grumpy Old Women.
Even Stuart’s autobiography, Still Grumpy: After All These Years, referenced the TV show.
BBCArthur Smith was another star of Stuart’s Grumpy Old Men[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
