Tribute to Errol Bruce and Simon Dee Errol Bruce Knapp was born in Egypt. His father was a Canadian serving in the British army. His mother was a member of a Greek family living in Benha near Alexandria who taught French at a local school. T
Simon Dee, the Jaguar-driving playboy and DJ who became Britain's first chat-show host, but whose rise and fall as a household name in the 1960s became a by-word for the fickle nature of celebrity, died yesterday from cancer. He was 74.
As the presenter of the BBC's Dee Time, the famously suave broadcaster drew audiences of up to 18 million for his interviews with guests including Sammy Davis Jnr and John Lennon.
With his sculpted fringe, penchant for cravats and smooth repartee, Dee became the epitome of the Swinging Sixties, pushing back cultural boundaries and rubbing shoulders with the stars of the day, from The Beatles to Charlton Heston.
