Actress and comedian Dawn French shared a picture of her and Jennifer Saunders with the late broadcaster on X, saying: "We've lost a tip top chap."

"Our advocate from the start," she added.

In a post on social media platform Bluesky, pop group The Pet Shop Boys described Yentob as "a legend in British TV, responsible for some of the BBC's finest programmes".

The pop duo were the subject of one of Yentob's Imagine documentaries.

BBC Radio 4 Today presenter Amol Rajan paid tribute, saying: "He was such a unique and kind man: an improbable impresario from unlikely origins who became a towering figure in the culture of post-war Britain.

"Modern art never had a more loyal ally. His shows were always brilliant, often masterpieces, sometimes seminal. So much of Britain's best TV over five decades came via his desk. That was public Alan. In private, he was magnetic, zealous, and very funny, with a mesmerising voice and mischievous chuckle."

Yentob's long and successful career at the BBC was not without controversy.

In 2015, he resigned from his role as the BBC's creative director, having faced scrutiny for his role, as chairman, in the collapse of the charity Kids Company.

Yentob said the speculation over his conduct - which included claims he had tried to influence the BBC coverage of the charity's demise - had been "proving a serious distraction" when the BBC was in "particularly challenging times".

Yentob continued to make many more programmes for the broadcaster, and was subsequently appointed a CBE in 2024 for services to the arts and media.

He is survived by his wife, TV producer Philippa Walker, and their two children.