The news of his death was shared by Yentob’s family, who said he passed away on Saturday (24th May).
"He was curious, funny, annoying, late, and creative in every cell of his body. But more than that, he was the kindest of men and a profoundly moral man. He leaves in his wake a trail of love a mile wide."
He launched children’s channels CBBC and CBeebies, and commissioned shows such as Absolutely Fabulous, Have I Got News For You and Wallace and Gromit.
He also presented shows for the BBC during his tenure, including a regular arts series, Imagine, from 2003 and a series on the life of artist Leonardo da Vinci.
In a tribute following the news of his passing, the BBC's director-general Tim Davie said: "Alan Yentob was a towering figure in British broadcasting and the arts. A creative force and a cultural visionary, he shaped decades of programming at the BBC and beyond, with a passion for storytelling and public service that leave a lasting legacy."
Tributes have also been flooding in on social media, with Doctor Who's Russell T Davies sharing a photo of him and Yentob standing in the Tardis on Instagram.
He continued: "I’d see him over the years at the BBC - he helped get my production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream on to BBC One. I once opened the door to a room and Alan and Salman Rushdie looked up at me, like two owls. 'Sorry!' I only really got to know him when he made his Imagine documentary about me. And I’d always been in awe of him, but I discovered then what a funny, clever, mischievous man he was. Full of stories! He’d met everyone! All lovely, joyous gossip, not a moment of malice. And no high culture and low culture for him, whether it was Doctor Who or Tolstoy or French & Saunders or Bowie, he had a passion for it all."
"And when I sat on the Tardis with him for this interview, I realised he REALLY loved Doctor Who. I told him tales of the Toymaker and the Star Beast and he was all glittery and wide-eyed. The joy of the man! And his career was far more than this - go online and discover the length and breadth and depth of what he’s done. He said that his David Bowie documentary, Cracked Actor, was one of his most favourite things, made when few people would take rock stars seriously. He was, as always, ahead of the game. A great man, who did great work, and loved great art. Night then, Alan. Well done ."
He continued: "It’s no surprise he had such a long career at the top and was trusted by so many. I owed a lot to him – he put me on BBC1, supported me when I came under fire for asking awkward questions and wrote to me to say so.
Comedian Dawn French also paid tribute, writing on X: "We’ve lost a tip top chap. Our advocate from the start… Alan Yentob."
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