This Morning agony aunt Denise Robertson dies after 'short battle with cancer'

This Morning agony aunt Denise Robertson has died at the age of 83 after a short battle with pancreatic cancer.

This Morning broadcast a special tribute to the agony aunt who had been with the show since its premiere in 1988.

Denise's family released this statement: "It is with the deepest possible sorrow that we announce the passing of a very great lady. Our dearest Denise Robertson lost her short battle with cancer at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London.

"We send our gratitude to the many thousands of people who have sent messages of love, support and prayers during these difficult weeks, these sustained and delighted her immeasurably. The care Denise received from Professor Cunningham, Dr Tait and all the staff at the hospital was above and beyond anything we could have hoped for.

"The world has lost an extraordinary woman. We know that her ITV family, the This Morning viewers and the numbers of people she has helped and causes she has championed during her 83 years, will be grieving with us at this intensely painful time."

Sunderland-born Denise revealed she was battling cancer in February.

Her colleagues have been quick to pay tribute to Denise. Richard Madeley, who presented This Morning with wife Judy Finnigan from 1988 to 2001, told the BBC that Robertson 'was probably the best agony aunt in the business'.

He continued: "What very few people will know, the viewers certainly won't know this, is that when a show was over Denise would stay in the phone-in room sometimes for hours, well into the afternoon, talking to people, who hadn't been able to get on the air or continuing to counsel people who had," he said.

"She'd give up so much of her time and she made a difference. She was a truly, truly, wonderful, warm-hearted and wise woman."

Current This Morning host Phillip Schofield said he was heartbroken at her passing and described her as 'kind, thoughtful, caring & wonderful'.

Watch a clip of Denise doing what she did best:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXpEk_rFZCE

Denise was made an MBE in 2006 for her services to broadcasting and charity. She is survived by husband Bryan and her son, Mark.

This Morning has asked fans to post their tributes to Denise on their Facebook page.

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Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.