Stuart Prebble, the creator of the BBC series Grumpy Old Men and a former CEO of ITV, has died at the age of 74. His family confirmed that Prebble passed away on August 21 after battling pancreatic cancer.

Prebble was a well-respected British TV executive who held senior roles in both creative and commercial aspects of the industry.

british broadcaster Michael Crick paid tribute on X, calling Prebble “one of the most distinguished TV journalists of modern times.”

After graduating from university, Prebble began his career editing the World in Action current affairs series before climbing the ranks at UK network ITV, where he oversaw factual programming.

He became CEO of ITV in April 2001 and later served as CEO of ITV Digital before founding the self-reliant production company Liberty Bell.

At Liberty Bell, Prebble conceived the Grumpy Old men series, which featured well-known middle-aged men discussing modern life issues that irritated them.The show included contributors such as Jeremy Clarkson, bob Geldof, and John Humphrys.It gained a important following and ran for three series, leading to a spin-off titled Grumpy Old Women, featuring Lesley Joseph, Janet Street-Porter, and Jenny Eclair.

Prebble later sold liberty Bell to Avalon and established another indie production company, StoryVault Films, where he served as chair at the time of his death. StoryVault Films produces Sky’s series Portrait Artist of the Year, which has received several awards. Prebble had recently shared on Instagram that he was “Deliriously happy” while filming Season 11 of the Sky show.

“one of the most distinguished TV journalists of modern times”

Stuart Prebble’s Impact on British Television

Stuart Prebble’s career spanned decades and included roles as a journalist, producer, executive, and creator. His work substantially impacted British television, particularly in current affairs and entertainment programming.