The death of sports broadcaster Bob Humphrys, aged 56, was confirmed on 19 August, 2008, two months after he revealed he was suffering with lung cancer.

"I shouldn't be writing this about me. You should be reading this about somebody else, and I should be writing this about somebody else," he said in a passionate article in the Daily Mail in June. "Lung cancer was meant to affect those who'd smoked cigarettes next to me in pubs all my adult life. I'd always been in favour of the smoking ban in pubs. A pity it was all a little late."

Mr Humphrys hosted the sports coverage on the BBC's Wales Today regional news programme and was also known for presenting international rugby matches.

In 2004 he was given a 'Lifetime Achievement' award from the BBC and he had also won the BT Welsh Sports Reporter of the Year award three times.

In February 2008 he left Wales Today after 20 years, in a wholesale staff shake-up at the BBC.

Mr Humphrys, from Cardiff, was survived by his wife and three children.

He was the younger brother of Radio 4's John Humphrys. He said: "He was a great journalist and a great man and we will all miss him so much."

Controller of BBC Wales Menna Richards also paid tribute to him: "Bob Humphrys made a huge contribution to BBC Wales over many years in a wide range of programming. First as a current affairs journalist but above all as someone who got to the heart of the sporting world that is so important to Wales.

"He combined great knowledge and enthusiasm with humour and wit. Bob had an unmistakable and distinctive style that brought him a huge following throughout Wales."

Welsh cricket legend Matthew Maynard said: "It was through the cricket we first met and he loved the game and quite often we met up for a couple of beers at the Dynefor Arms.

"Bob loved his job and and loved the people he was working with and obviously interviewing as well. His knowledge of sport across the board was second to none and if I ever needed any contacts, Bob was the man to go to because he knew everyone in Wales."

His BBC co-host Jamie Owen said that what set Mr Humphrys apart was his connection with the audience: "People would come up to him as if he was some sort of uncle. They felt they really knew him."