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Jim Bowen death: Bullseye host and standup comedian dies aged 80

Comedian and TV personality Jim Bowen – the presenter of beloved darts-themed game show Bullseye – has died at the age of 80.

The news was confirmed by his wife who told BBC Radio Lancashire, the station he presented a live morning magazine programme for from 1999 to 2003.

Born Peter Williams in 1937, Bowen’s career in show business began in the 1960s when he started working as a part-time standup comedian before finding his big break on The Comedians, a series famed for discovering talent including Russ Abbott, Frank Carson and Roy Walker.

Bowen first presented Bullseye in 1981 which became one of ITV’s best-loved game shows throughout the decade and into the 1990s.

Its final episode with Bowen as host aired in 1995. He became known for his many catchphrases including “Look at what you could have won” and “Nothing in this game for two in a bed” referring to a rule whereby contestants would lose a prize if they hit the same spot on a dartboard twice.

Bowen’s acting roles included Jonathan Creek, The Grimleys and – more recently – Peter Kay’s Phoenix Nights.

Since 2011, Bowen suffered three strokes, the third of which is said to have left him struggling to walk since November 2014.

Earlier this week, legendary Liverpudlian comic Ken Dodd passed away at the age of 90.

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