Veteran Star Sir Jimmy Savile Dies Aged 84

Veteran broadcaster and charity campaigner Sir Jimmy Savile has died at his home in Leeds.

He would have celebrated his 85th birthday on Monday.

Police were called to his home at 1210 on Saturday, where they discovered his body. His death is not being treated as suspicious.

Born in Leeds in 1926, the youngest of seven children, Savile will perhaps be best remembered for the wildly successful 70s TV series 'Jim'll Fix It'.

Thousands upon thousands of children would write into the show in the hope of having their wishes granted.

Savile was widely regarded as Britain's first ever celebrity DJ, fronting the original series of Top of the Pops. He was invited back to present the final show in 2006 with former Radio 1 DJ Mike Read.

"He was an exceptional character in a world that's got greyer, more normal, more dull," Mr Read told Sky News.

"He was a one off. He was the first to go into halls and clubs and play records.

"You knew it was Jimmy, he stood out in the crowd. He was pure, pure showbiz."

Another former DJ-ing colleauge, Tony Blackburn, told Sky News that nobody ever got close to the "real" man.

"He was just a big, over-the-top personality. He was just great fun. He was an unusual person, a one-off."

Savile's distinct style and catchphrases endeared him to the British public, support which he used to reportedly raise over £40m for charity over his career.

He was awarded an OBE in 1972, and was knighted by the Queen in 1990 for his charity work.

In 2009 he received an honorary degree from the University of Bedfordshire for his support of the National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury.

Friend and fellow DJ Dave Lee Travis has paid tribute.

"For some unknown reason, with Jim, you couldn't anticipate that he wasn't going to be around anymore - he was such a powerful presence," he told Sky News.

"He was one of the first DJs that actually became a personality.

"He was a very larger-than-life character, and I think we're all going to be worse off without him around."

Jim'll Fix It ran for over 20 years and, at its peak, received 20,000 letters per week from eager children.

"Jimmy fixed it for me to fly with the Red Arrows in 1990," fan Rhys Appleton told Sky News.

"What a guy. Gave you all the time in the world. A genuinely nice man. Will be sadly missed."

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