Humphrey Lyttelton dies, aged 86

Jazz legend Humphrey Lyttelton has died aged 86, the BBC said.

Lyttelton, who also presented Radio 4 comedy show I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, was admitted to hospital this week for surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm.

'Humph', as he was known to friends and his millions of fans, began playing the trumpet in 1936 and still toured with his band up until recently.

In 1956, Lyttelton's Bad Penny Blues was the first British jazz record to enter the top 20.

Senior BBC managers paid tribute to the musician turned broadcaster, who had hosted the "self-styled antidote to panel games" since 1972.

Radio 4 controller Mark Damazer last night described Lyttelton as "an extraordinarily modest man".

He said: "Humphrey Lyttelton was a great and towering figure in the history of Radio 4 comedy.

"Of course he was fabulously funny and sharp: but more than that he was the definition of a certain sort of wit - self-deprecating, mordant and linguistically brilliant. It was a wonderful combination - allied to a natural human warmth."

"I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue has been the most successful Radio 4 comedy - and Humphrey its centrepiece. We have lost a giant and we are immeasurably grateful for all he gave to Radio 4 listeners, young and old alike, for so long."

Jenny Abramsky, Director of Audio and Music at the corporation, said: "Humphrey Lyttelton has been one of the wonders of radio broadcasting for years."

Picture: PA Wire