One of Britain's most popular British comedians and television presenters died at age 88 on 14. Nov. Best known for his own chat shows The Des O'Connor Show and Des O'Connor Tonight, as well as Take Your Pick and Countdown, the Londoner made his West End musical debut just nine years ago in 2011 in Dreamboats and Petticoats. "It is with great sorrow that I confirm that Des O'Connor passed away yesterday," his agent Pat Lake-Smith said in a statement the day after his death. "He had been admitted to hospital just over a week ago, following a fall at his home in Buckinghamshire. He was recovering well and had been in great spirits, visited by his family — in accordance with hospital lockdown regulations —and looking forward to going home. Unfortunately, yesterday evening his condition suddenly deteriorated and he drifted peacefully away in his sleep."