Veteran star of British journalism falls silent

LONDON – Star British columnist and broadcaster Bernard Levin, who entertained millions for decades with his witty and controversial ideas, died on Saturday a week ago aged 75.

For decades he diverted readers on all manner of topics, as much at home in the pages of the popular dailies as the more austere, up-market Times, not to speak of controversial and sometimes showstopping moments on television. Levin, a Londoner, first made his name in the weekly magazine The Spectator then went on to write sparkling theatre notices for The Daily Express and later The Daily Mail newspapers.In the 1960s he became a familiar face to millions of television spectators, especially on the early 1960s satirical Saturday evening programme ‘That Was The Week That Was’.One of the most memorable moments of those days was when the enraged husband of an actress appeared in the studio and punched Levin in front of 11 million viewers because of words of criticism the scribe had uttered a week earlier before the cameras.He wrote a column for The Times between 1971 and 1997, until ill health intervened.Times editor Robert Thomson said:”Bernard Levin was one of the most gifted and influential columnists to write for The Times.”The beauty of his language and originality of his thought ensured that he had an enthusiastic audience far beyond the borders of Britain.” – Nampa-AFPLevin, a Londoner, first made his name in the weekly magazine The Spectator then went on to write sparkling theatre notices for The Daily Express and later The Daily Mail newspapers.In the 1960s he became a familiar face to millions of television spectators, especially on the early 1960s satirical Saturday evening programme ‘That Was The Week That Was’.One of the most memorable moments of those days was when the enraged husband of an actress appeared in the studio and punched Levin in front of 11 million viewers because of words of criticism the scribe had uttered a week earlier before the cameras.He wrote a column for The Times between 1971 and 1997, until ill health intervened.Times editor Robert Thomson said:”Bernard Levin was one of the most gifted and influential columnists to write for The Times.”The beauty of his language and originality of his thought ensured that he had an enthusiastic audience far beyond the borders of Britain.” – Nampa-AFP