ITV legend and the creator behind the BBC hit Grumpy Old Men Stuart Prebble has passed away aged 74.
The late star was the former chief executive at ITV before he went on to create the successful series which focused the grievances about modern life.
Confirming the news, his family shared he had died after a battle with pancreatic cancer on August 21.
Stuart first joined the BBC in 1974 and during his career he worked as a reporter presenter, producer and even rose to be the CEO of ITV.
After studying at Newcastle University, where he was editor of student newspaper The Courier, he went on to produce programmes including World In Action, Grumpy Old Men, Three Men in a Boat and Portrait Artist of the Year.
Stuart released his autobiography Still Grumpy: After All These Years back in October 2024.
ITV legend and Grumpy Old Men creator Stuart Prebble has passed away aged 74 after cancer battle (pictured in 2015)
After studying at Newcastle University he went on to produce programmes including World In Action and Grumpy Old Men (pictured starring Arthur Smith, Rory McGrath, Sir Tim Rice and Rick Wakeman in 2006)
Writing on his website about his career at the time he penned: ‘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.’
He added: ‘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. In fact some of it is distressing as I recall some terrible tragedies which have coloured my life. But it’s all as true as I can remember it.’
Taking to Twitter to share their condolences after the news of his death, political broadcaster Michael Crick penned: ‘One of the most distinguished TV journalists of modern times’.
Others wrote: ‘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’;
Another 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.’
Stuart became CEO of ITV in April 2001 before leaving in 2002 to set up his own television company Liberty Bell (pictured in 2001)
Stuart released his autobiography Still Grumpy: After All These Years back in October 2024
Fans took to Twitter to share their condolences and offer messages of support
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TV series Grumpy Old Men creator Stuart Prebble explains why he still hasn't mellowed 21 years later
One of Stuart’s first front page bylines saw him help set up a show for Paul McCartney after he turned up in Newcastle when he was working for the student paper.
‘I looked in the back of the van and there was Paul McCartney,’ he recalled.
He then helped Paul and his band Wings set up a show in the canteen where 400 students paid 50p for tickets.
After leaving university he became producer and editor of the World In Action current affairs series and later became Head of Factual Programmes at Granada TV and Controller of Factual Programmes for the ITV network.
World In Action earnt him a BAFTA TV nomination and he won the RTS ‘best factual series’ award for Network First.
Stuart became CEO of ITV in April 2001 before leaving in 2002 to set up his own television company Liberty Bell.
His series Grumpy Old Men was based on, in his words, a watertight scientific fact, which was that the 35- to 54-year-old age group was the grumpiest of any in history’.
Covering everything from absurdly tight spaces in multistorey car parks to ‘your call is important to us’.
From the congestion charge to the insistent bass boom of ‘music’ leaking out of the headphones of fellow passengers on the train.
The line-up included Arthur Smith, Bob Geldof, Bill Nighy, Tim Rice, Don Warrington, Rick Wakeman and a dozen others, and the first series eventually turned into 73 programmes (including Grumpy Old Women), seven books and a West End and touring stage show.