Tributes as 'charming' veteran actor Ian Carmichael dies at 89

Tributes paid to the Yorkshire actor, who died at his home in the Esk Valley on the North York Moors, reveal he was held in as much respect by his colleagues as by the ticket paying public who made him one of the biggest box office stars in British movies.

The Hull-born actor had fallen ill over Christmas and New Year, his wife Kate Carmichael said. He died peacefully on Saturday

Carmichael made his name playing in a series of films for the Boulting Brothers including Private's Progress (1956), Brothers in Law (1957) and I'm All Right Jack (1959).

During the 1960s and 1970s, he was successful in television, particularly as Bertie Wooster in The World of Wooster and Lord Peter Wimsey in several drama series based on the mystery novels by Dorothy L Sayers.

Carmichael appeared in the BBC serial Wives and Daughters in 1999 and was in The Royal on ITV. He was appointed an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in 2003.

He leaves his second wife, Kate, 55, a novelist, two daughters, five grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Keith Richardson, executive producer of The Royal, said Carmichael had filmed a couple of episodes last year which will be seen when the programme returns to the screen, possibly in the spring.

Retired chat show host Sir Michael Parkinson said: "He was a charming man and a very good comedy actor."