The silent benefactor that was Jeremy Beadle

Last Wednesday night, one of my oldest friends died at the young age of 59.

I knew Jeremy Beadle for almost 28 years and the last time I saw him - Saturday afternoon - he was lying in a hospital bed unconscious and attached to various machines that were keeping him alive.

Four days later, he died leaving Sue, his adored wife, and four beloved children Leo, Clare, Cassie and Bonnie.

His death made the front page of the Daily Mirror and The Sun and also garnered large obituaries in The Times, The Guardian, Daily Express and The Independent for whom he wrote a fiendishly difficult quiz for the past four years.

As well as being a television genius (he thought up Surprise Surprise among many other shows), he was a general knowledge guru, very funny, kind and very thoughtful. His friends miss him more than they can say.

Jeremy also raised a staggering £100million for charity. He never asked for a reward for this - he did it for his own (he said selfish, his friends think selfless) reasons but the "establishment" saw fit to award him only an MBE, the lowest of the orders available.

Compare this to a certain other television star who has faded from our screens. He works for charity - and boy does he let everyone know about it - but he also charges a minimum of £10,000 per appearance. Jeremy didn't even ask for expenses. Jeremy got a paltry MBE - this other celebrity got a knighthood. Jeremy probably wouldn't have wanted a "K" but, by golly, was he ever deserving of one!