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| Mr & Mrs gameshow host Derek Batey dies aged 84 | Mr & Mrs gameshow host Derek Batey dies aged 84 |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Derek Batey, host of ITV gameshow Mr & Mrs in the 1970s and 1980s, has died at the age of 84, his former employers at ITV Border Television have announced. | Derek Batey, host of ITV gameshow Mr & Mrs in the 1970s and 1980s, has died at the age of 84, his former employers at ITV Border Television have announced. |
| He died at a hospice near his home in Lytham St Annes on Sunday night, following a short illness. | He died at a hospice near his home in Lytham St Annes on Sunday night, following a short illness. |
| Born in Brampton, Cumbria, the one-time ventriloquist started his broadcasting career with the BBC, then joined Border when it was formed in 1961. | Born in Brampton, Cumbria, the one-time ventriloquist started his broadcasting career with the BBC, then joined Border when it was formed in 1961. |
| As well as Mr & Mrs, he presented chat show Look Who's Talking. | As well as Mr & Mrs, he presented chat show Look Who's Talking. |
| The show had the ambitious aim of bringing the biggest stars of the day to the Border studios in Carlisle. | The show had the ambitious aim of bringing the biggest stars of the day to the Border studios in Carlisle. |
| In all, Batey worked for Border for nearly 30 years and his passion for his home county was such that he earned the nickname "Mr Border". | In all, Batey worked for Border for nearly 30 years and his passion for his home county was such that he earned the nickname "Mr Border". |
| Huge ratings | Huge ratings |
| He had originally seen Mr & Mrs on a Canadian TV channel and decided to develop a version for Border. | He had originally seen Mr & Mrs on a Canadian TV channel and decided to develop a version for Border. |
| The gameshow pitted married couples against each other in a quiz that tested how well they really knew their own spouse, and attracted nine million viewers during its heyday in the 1970s. | The gameshow pitted married couples against each other in a quiz that tested how well they really knew their own spouse, and attracted nine million viewers during its heyday in the 1970s. |
| Batey presented Mr & Mrs 500 times on TV and 5,000 times on stage after developing a successful theatrical version. | Batey presented Mr & Mrs 500 times on TV and 5,000 times on stage after developing a successful theatrical version. |
| Phillip Schofield, who presents the modern celebrity version of the show for ITV - on which Batey acted as a consultant - tweeted: "Very sad news. Will be thinking of him when we're next in the studio." | Phillip Schofield, who presents the modern celebrity version of the show for ITV - on which Batey acted as a consultant - tweeted: "Very sad news. Will be thinking of him when we're next in the studio." |
| What are your memories of Derek Batey? You can contact us using the form below. |