The former host of University Challenge Bamber Gascoigne has died aged 87, his representative has said.

The presenter, who was the original quizmaster on the BBC show from 1962 to 1987, died at home after a short illness.

In 2014, Gascoigne inherited a 14th century Surrey estate, West Horsley Place, from his aunt the Duchess of Roxburghe, where he later built an opera house.

A statement from the opera said: “TV presenter and author Bamber Gascoigne has today (8 February 2022) died at his home in Richmond after a short illness.

“The 87-year-old – famous for being the original host of BBC’s University Challenge – had been married to his wife Christina, a potter, for five years.”

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