TV channel wishes Dale Winton happy birthday, more than a year after he died: 'Have a good one'

Late presenter described as 'extremely kind and brilliantly funny' after death

Challenge TV wished the beloved presenter a happy birthday more than a year after he died (Twitter)

His many fans may wish Dale Winton were still alive – but one TV channel apparently believes he is.

The beloved former presenter, who graced shows like Supermarket Sweep with his signature cheery demeanour and perma-tan, died in April last year at the age of 62.

Despite this Challenge TV, known for series such as The Chase, Ninja Warrior and Takeshi’s Castle, took to social media today to wish him a happy birthday.

“Happy Birthday to the legendary Dale Winton! Have a good one,” it exhorted, adding a cake emoji for good measure.

Following his death, Winton was described as “extremely kind, brilliantly funny and [a] true gentleman”.

The Challenge TV tweet remained live for more than an hour before someone realised and took it down.

ITV’s cult breakneck-paced shopping game Supermarket Sweep made Winton a star in 1993, and lasted until 2001 with a rebooted version airing in 2007.

He later moved into prime time with In It To Win It on the BBC.

A spokesperson for Challenge TV said: "We’re sorry for any offence caused by the post on Challenge TV’s Twitter page. This was published in error and was deleted shortly after being tweeted."