Chris Serle, That's Life! star and BBC presenter, dies aged 81
Serle enjoyed a successful career in television and radio.
Former BBC television and radio presenter Chris Serle has died at the age of 81, his family has confirmed.
In a statement released by his family to the BBC, they said Serle was a "familiar and cherished figure on British television screens throughout the 1970s and 1980s".
Serle rose to fame on satirical consumer affairs show That’s Life!, where he worked alongside Dame Esther Rantzen and others.
"I am so very sad to hear that Chris Serle, one of our best loved That's Life! reporters, has died," Esther told the PA news agency.
"He was as nice off camera as he was in the studio on camera - funny, clever, charming, a very versatile presenter," she continued.
"When I first met him he was a producer, but it was clear that he had all the attributes of the best reporters.
"Viewers and listeners of That's Life! and the many other radio and television programmes he presented will be equally sad."
Serle enjoyed a successful career in television and radio, appearing on programmes throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including In at the Deep End and Points of View for the BBC.
He also chaired Radio 4’s Pick of the Week between 1981 and 1988, and was the host of a long-running afternoon show on BBC Radio Bristol.
Serle was also well-known for presenting Windmill, a programme featuring archived BBC clips from series including Doctor Who and Blue Peter.
He appeared on The Computer Programme, too, which began airing in 1982 and showed Serle learning some of the basics of computing alongside expert Ian McNaught-Davis, and Monkey Business, a documentary following the lives of the monkeys at a sanctuary in Dorset, in the early noughties.
Tributes have been flooding in for the late star on Twitter, which has rebranded as X.
Slapstick Festival wrote: "It is with deep sadness that we heard of the passing of Chris Serle, the beloved BBC television and radio presenter.
"For 20 years Chris was tireless supporter of Slapstick Festival and a much loved friend. He will be sorely missed."
Authors
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
