TRIBUTES have been paid to Jeremy Beadle, the TV personality and arch-prankster, who was brought up in Kent. He died on Wednesday aged 59.

Beadle was admitted to hospital last week but died after a short battle with pneumonia. Members of his family were by his bedside.

The star found fame in the 1980s as one of the presenters on hit ITV show, Game for a Laugh, before moving on to other popular shows, Beadle's About and You've been Framed, regularly attracting television audiences of more than 15 million.

Paul Chantler, 48, a former Kent Messenger Group reporter and Kent Invicta Radio presenter, who once interviewed Beadle for Hospital Radio Tunbridge Wells, said: "There is this perception that he is a bumbling prankster but when I met him he was a total professional and a really nice guy.

"I remember him as being very charming. He seemed quite intimidating to interview but then he came across in a friendly way."

In a statement, Beadle's agent, Nick Canham of MPC Entertainment, said: "Our heartfelt condolences go to his wife Sue, his two daughters, Cassie and Bonnie and his stepchildren Leo and Claire. He will be greatly missed."

Earlier in his career, Beadle worked as a presenter on BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4, as well as on Radio 2 as a late night host on Nightline.

He was a longstanding fundraiser for Children with Leukaemia and helped chilren with Poland's Syndrome, which he suffered from, and left him with withered right hand. It is estimated that he raised more than £100 million for charity and in 2001 he was awarded an MBE for his efforts.

For many years he worked with American author Irving Wallace on seven million-selling reference books, including The People's Almanac and the Book of Lists.

Beadle once said: "People feel guilty about enjoying the cruelty of comedy which is at someone else's expense. They transfer their guilt on to me. But I say let them hate me..as long as they watch."