Bamber Gascoigne has died at the age of 87.
The University Challenge host died at his home in Richmond, London after suffering a short illness
He was married to his wife Christina, a potter, for 55 years.
The well-loved TV presenter was best known for his quizmaster role.
The series first aired from 1962 and 1987 - and Bamber became the face of it.
Bamber asked gentle but firm questions, with some of his best phrases even making it into popular speech.
He would use "Your starter for ten", "fingers on buzzers" and "I'll have to hurry you" as some of the ways to put pressure on contestants.
Bamber, who had such dedication to the programme, would fact check all questions and rewrite them if poorly.
The show was revived on the BBC in 1994, with Jeremy Paxman presenting.
However its former host was offered the role first.
News of his death will come as a complete shock to many of his fans, who have paid tribute to him on social media.
The Chase quizzer Paul Sinha wrote a heartfelt message to the late star.
He said: "It seems that Bamber Gascoigne has passed away.
"His effortless erudition, making whole swathes of impenetrable knowledge seem cheerfully accessible, was totally inspiring to this kid of the 80s.
"Sadly we may never see his like on our screens again."
On Twitter, one person wrote: "There goes another chunk of the landscape of my youth. Bamber Gascoigne has died :( RIP."
Another shared: "Sorry to hear of the death of #BamberGascoigne He always seemed a gentle & intelligent man."
A third praised: "RIP Arthur Bamber Gascoigne CBE, FRSL. Very sad news and another person who formed part of our culture here in the UK. He was at the original presenter of University Challenge and appeared to be a very, very nice chap."
A fourth added: "Your starter for ten… Bamber Gascoigne has passed away."
"Another part of my formative years disappears. RIP Bamber Gascoigne," a fifth commented.
Bamber wrote a series of books during his career - including Mugatroyd's Empire, a 1972 satirical novel - and also starred in documentaries.
The popular figure wrote and presented The Christians - a 13-hour TV documentary for Granada and broadcast on ITV.
Bamber wrote a companion book with his wife after the series aired.
He also had huge involvement in politics.
Mr Gascoigne became one of 200 public figures to sign a letter to the Guardian opposing Scottish independence in 2014.
He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2018 Birthday Honours for services to the arts.
