Archive August 26, 2025

Stuart Prebble, the influential television figure behind the BBC hit Grumpy Old Men and a former chief executive at ITV, has died at 74. His family confirmed the news, revealing he had been battling pancreatic cancer.

Prebble’s passing has prompted an outpouring of tributes from across the broadcasting world, with many reflecting on his creative legacy and journalistic brilliance.

Among the first to honour him was political broadcaster Michael Crick, who wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “One of the most distinguished TV journalists of modern times”.

Others also took to social media to share their memories and admiration. One tribute praised Prebble as “a really talented, inspiring and creative TV executive, who was able to navigate very tricky fast changing times. Sad news”.

Another wrote: “One of Britain’s best TV journalists, editors, investigators and original minds: fabulous sense of humour has died. RIP Stuart Prebble: Editor of World in Action and creator of Grumpy Old Men and @sky Landscape Artist”.

Prebble’s journalism career launched with a scoop most reporters could only dream of while he was still a university student in 1972. As Wings, Paul McCartney’s post-Beatles band, toured UK campuses with unannounced gigs, they turned up in Newcastle, where Stuart was working on the student paper, The Courier.

“I looked in the back of the van and there was Paul McCartney”, he recalled. Despite it being a Sunday and the Student Union being closed, Stuart found a workaround: “I told them the Student Union was closed on a Sunday but that they might be able to play in the canteen”.

He helped set up the show, where 400 students paid 50p each to hear McCartney’s new material – netting Stuart a front-page story and an unforgettable byline.

That early break marked the beginning of a wide-ranging career. After five years at the BBC, he moved to Granada and became a central figure at World in Action, a hard-hitting current affairs show known for, as he once put it, “righting wrongs, taking on the establishment and uncovering dodgy dealings of one kind or another”.

In 2001, he took the reins as ITV’s chief executive but left after the collapse of ITV Digital, which he also led. He later created Grumpy Old Men, a cultural phenomenon that gave famous men a platform to rant about everyday frustrations.

Famous people included Rick Wakeman, Bob Geldof, John Peel, and Jeremy Clarkson. The hit spin-off Grumpy Old Women, in which Ann Widdecombe, Janet Street-Porter, and Germaine Greer all air their own societal grievances, was the success of its popularity.

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Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift have sent the internet wild with their engagement snaps – here are all the clues the couple were engaged without telling a single soul…

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift have sent the internet wild as they announced their engagement on Instagram. The announcement came as a shock to Swifities, however, the beloved couple may have previously dropped a few clues that the NFL star had popped the question…

Taking to the social media platform tonight, the couple shared a joint social media post, in which they penned: “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.” In the adorable pictures, the Shake It Off singer was seen seen crying as she hugged her now fiancée. Travis got down on one knee, surrounded by stunning flowers in a garden.

It’s not yet known when Travis proposed, but it can be assumed that the couple kept things private for a while to enjoy their engagement bubble. Here are all the clues the couple were hiding the big news from the world…

READ MORE: Taylor Swift engagement statement explained as she dubs Travis ‘gym teacher’READ MORE: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce engaged: How long have they been together?

Travis’ lockscreen picture

Last month, fans were certain the two had made the commitment to each other after they spotted a hidden detail on a phone screen as the two posted a rare set of loved up snaps on the ‘gram. Of course, eagle eyed fans spotted a huge detail.

Zooming into Travis’ phone screen on one of the 13 adorable pics, fans noticed that Taylor could be seen posing with her fingers out, hinting that she was showing off a ring of some sort. Fans, of course, went crazy in the comments, with one questioning: “Travis’s lockscreen is she pointing at her hand like she is… engaged ??????” while another excited fan penned: “is it an engagement photo???”

‘Taylor Kelce’

Nothing can get past eagle-eyed Swifties, as the couple dropped a ‘huge clue’ they had taken the next step during the wedding of Chicago Bears player Cole Kmet and Emily Jarosz.

Along with the snaps, from the wedding which took place in June, fans noticed that a wedding table card showed the names “Taylor and Travis Kelce” on the table. At the time, fans thought they could have gone one step further and tied the knot.

It later turned out that the couple didn’t end up attending the wedding, and were instead at Kelce’s cousin Tanner Corum’s wedding in Knoxville, Tennessee, on the same day.

Diamond infinity ring

Back in January, the singer once again sent fans wild, as she was spotted wearing a diamond infinity ring – which fans worked out had a ‘hidden meaning’.

The star debuted the new ring while out to dinner with her parents in New York City, and fans were certain an engagement was imminent.

Doing some more digging, one fan researched the meaning of the stunning ring, sharing their findings on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Traditionally, these bands are thought of as a pre-engagement ring, as they signify devotion or ‘promise’ for a future engagement,” the description from the Google search read.

Now, we know the question came just months after the star was seen wearing the ring – but at the time, many weren’t convinced.

“The infinity symbol has been an Easter Egg since 2017,” wrote one, while others pointed out that she previously wore an infinity bracelet during her Folklore era.