Former BBC chairman Sir Christopher Bland dies aged 78

Tributes have been paid to former BBC chairman Sir Christopher Bland following his death at the age of 78.

Sir Christopher, who headed the BBC's board of governors before moving on to senior roles at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and BT, died on Saturday after battling prostate cancer.

His family said in a statement: “Christopher died peacefully at home. He had defied cancer for three years and continued to live with his usual extraordinary warmth, generosity, energy and humour.

"He relished every day of his life, and to those that loved him he is irreplaceable.

"We're enormously proud of everything he achieved, from steering the BBC through tough times to his late flowering as a novelist, and we'll miss him more than we can say."

BBC director general Tony Hall described Sir Christopher as an “outstanding chairman” as he led the tributes to the businessman.

Mr Hall said: “He was a great communicator who both understood the creativity of broadcasting as well as the business of it. He was hugely admired and will be greatly missed."

BBC news presenter Huw Edwards tweeted: "Sincere sympathy. At the BBC many of us remember him as an exemplary chairman of the Board of Governors."

The novelist Robert Harris said: "Very sad to hear of the deaths of two old friends this morning, Christopher Bland and Alexander Chancellor. Both lived life to the full."

"He was a terrific character, a real force of nature, and I'll miss him.”