ITV This Morning stars in tears during on-air tribute to Sam Rubin after sudden death

The stars of ITV's This Morning were moved to tears during a live on-air tribute to Sam Rubin, who tragically passed away suddenly. This Morning honoured Sam Rubin on Monday's show following the 64-year-old's unexpected death.

Sam, a Hollywood correspondent for This Morning and the host of Hollywood Uncensored, sadly died at the age of 64 on May 10 after being rushed to hospital. According to Variety, Sam suffered a heart attack while working from home.

He was taken to a Los Angeles hospital by ambulance, but sadly died.

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The This Morning team paid their respects to Sam on Friday night, with the ITV show's official Instagram posting a picture of the late star and informing followers: "There will be a tribute to Sam on Monday's show, but in the meantime we send our condolences to his wife Leslie, their four children and Sam's colleagues at KTLA". They further commemorated him on Monday's show.

At the start of the show, hosts Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley expressed their "heavy hearts" in the studio as they aired a video montage of Sam's best moments and paid tribute. The two presenters then connected with Hollywood correspondent Ross King live from New York City, who struggled to hold back tears while honouring his friend and former colleague, reports the Mirror.

Ross expressed his deep emotions, saying: "I hope, Sammy, you're looking down and seeing how much love there is for you because it's remarkable. Sam loved being Sam and he loved being on camera, he was loved. I just hope he can see it, I hope he can see the love he's got from the industry that people are talking about him so much, it's making such big news. Again, the outpouring of grief from people in the industry, those stars that loved him as well, Sammy would have loved this."

Following the announcement of Sam Rubin's passing, KTLA shared their condolences online: "KTLA 5 is profoundly saddened to report the death of Sam Rubin. Sam was a giant in the local news industry and the entertainment world, and a fixture of Los Angeles morning television for decades."

The network also paid homage to Sam's character: "His laugh, charm and caring personality touched all who knew him. Sam was a loving husband and father: the roles he cherished the most. Our thoughts are with Sam's family during this difficult time."

Sam Rubin had been a familiar face on This Morning as a correspondent, often delivering the latest Hollywood news and gossip. His last appearance at the This Morning studios was in 2018, where he joined then-presenters Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford to discuss the latest happenings in the world of celebrities.

Just last week, Sam was on air for KTLA, a station he has been associated with since 1991. His work there has garnered him several Emmys and a Golden Mike award over the years.

He also received a lifetime achievement award from the Southern California Broadcasters Association. He hosted his own show, Hollywood Uncensored with Sam Rubin, which ran for over 100 episodes.

In 2007, he tied the knot with Leslie Gale Shuman and they have two children together. Prior to this, he was married to Julie Anderson.

They got married in 1988 but divorced in 2006, and they also have two children together.