The most controversial moments from Sir Terry Wogan's chat show

'He chunted down several bucket-fulls in about five minutes so he comes across to me and he’s as drunk as a skunk', says Sir Terry

George Best's drunken appearance went down as one of the most memorable interviews in TV history (Getty)

Veteran BBC broadcaster Sir Terry Wogan has died of cancer aged 77.

In a statement his family said: “Sir Terry Wogan died today after a short but brave battle with cancer.

”He passed away surrounded by his family. While we understand he will be missed by many, the family ask that their privacy is respected at this time.”

In a television career which spanned five decades, the Limerick-born broadcaster became one of the most listened-to broadcasters in Europe.

Known as a “national treasure”, Sir Terry was undoubtedly one of the most accomplished and well-liked broadcasters of an entire generation.

Throughout his career, Sir Terry made a name for himself with appearances on Eurovision, Children in Need and Wake up to Wogan on BBC Radio 2.

He will also be remembered for his tremendously successful BBC chat show, Wogan, which ran from 1982 to 1992 and featured some rather memorable moments.

Most memorable of all was the time George Best turned up drunk to the show in 1990.

Talking about the infamous interview with the football legend years later, Sir Terry said: “He chunted down several bucket-fulls in about five minutes so he comes across to me and he’s as drunk as a skunk”.

But George Best’s drunken appearance was not the only episode to steal the limelight.

David Icke’s arrival on the show also grabbed headlines when Wogan asked footballer David Icke if he was claiming to be the son of God. Icke did not disagree.

The interview turned Icke from an esteemed household name into a public laughing stock, with The Guardian calling it a “media crucifixion”.