Stuart Prebble, a prominent figure in British television, has died at the age of 74. His family confirmed that he had been battling pancreatic cancer. Prebble was best known for his work on the BBC series Grumpy Old Men and for his role as chief executive at ITV.

His passing has elicited a wave of tributes from the broadcasting community, highlighting his creative contributions and journalistic excellence. Political broadcaster Michael Crick was among the first to pay tribute, stating on X (formerly Twitter): "One of the most distinguished TV journalists of modern times." Many others took to social media to express their admiration and share memories of Prebble.

One tribute described him as "a really talented, inspiring and creative TV executive, who was able to navigate very tricky fast changing times. Sad news." Another noted, "One of Britain’s best TV journalists, editors, investigators and original minds: fabulous sense of humour has died. RIP Stuart Prebble: Editor of World in Action and creator of Grumpy Old Men and @sky Landscape Artist."

Prebble's journalism career began in 1972 while he was still a university student. He secured a remarkable scoop when Paul McCartney's band Wings performed an unannounced gig at Newcastle University. Prebble, then working for the student paper The Courier, managed to arrange the show despite the Student Union being closed. He recalled, "I told them the Student Union was closed on a Sunday but that they might be able to play in the canteen." The event attracted 400 students, each paying 50p, and resulted in a front-page story for Prebble.

After five years at the BBC, Prebble joined Granada and became a key figure on World in Action, a current affairs programme known for its investigative journalism. He described the show as one that aimed at "righting wrongs, taking on the establishment and uncovering dodgy dealings of one kind or another."

In 2001, he became ITV’s chief executive but left following the collapse of ITV Digital, which he had also led. The following year, he created Grumpy Old Men, a show that allowed well-known personalities to express their frustrations about everyday life. The series featured notable figures such as Jeremy Clarkson, Bob Geldof, John Peel, and Rick Wakeman, and its success led to multiple series and a spin-off, Grumpy Old Women, featuring voices like Germaine Greer and Janet Street-Porter.