Irish singer Val Doonican has died aged 88

Singer Val Doonican has died aged 88.

His family said he passed "peacefully" on Wednesday night at a nursing home in Buckinghamshire.

They revealed he had not been ill, but his daughter said his "batteries had just run out".

Sir Bruce Forsyth paid tribute to his fellow entertainer, telling ITV News that Doonican was "in his day one of the biggest stars on British television."

The Irish musician and TV entertainer was best known for his novelty songs including Walk Tall and Elusive Butterfly as well as his BBC show The Val Doonican Show.

Running from 1965 to 1986, the programme saw Doonican perform alongside a string of guests.

Doonican enjoyed chart success in the 1960s when five of his albums went into the top 10 of the UK albums chart - and he even knocked The Beatles album Sgt Pepper off of the top spot in 1968 with Val Doonican Rocks.

He is survived by his wife Lynn, daughters Sarah and Fiona and grandchildren Bethany and Scott.