New Delhi, Sept. 21 -- Renowned television presenter John Stapleton has died peacefully in hospital at the age of 79, his agent has confirmed.

John Stapleton, who became one of the best-known faces of factual broadcasting, presented programmes such as the BBC's Watchdog and GMTV's News Hour. He began his career at the Oldham Chronicle before moving into national television.

His agent, Jackie Gill, said his Parkinson's disease had been made worse by pneumonia, and that his son Nick and daughter-in-law Lisa had been "constantly at his side".

Former Good Morning Britain presenter Charlotte Hawkins paid tribute, describing him as a "brilliant broadcaster" and a "genuinely lovely man".

Erron Gordon, co-creator of Good Morning Britain and n...