Eric Morley became a household name when he created the controversial Miss World competition. He appeared on stage to announce each year's winner until his death, aged 82, on 9 November, 2000.

Originally a publicity stunt devised by Mr Morley in 1951 to promote entertainment group Mecca, the competition attracted a UK audience of 20 million during its 1970s and 1980s heyday.

As director of Mecca, Mr Morley presided over the company's rise from a small catering and entertainment firm to one of the UK's leading entertainment companies.

A keen supporter of Margaret Thatcher, he came within two hundred votes of becoming an MP in the 1979 election. His colourful career also included founding TV show "Come Dancing" and a spell as President of Variety Clubs international.

Eric Douglas Morley was born on 28 November, 1918, in London. He was orphaned, age 11, when his mother and stepfather died of tuberculosis. His father died young - Mr Morley later claimed his father had attended Oxford and spoke nine languages.

Originally educated at Whitstable Grammar School, he was sent to the Royal Navy Training Ship 'Exmouth' by London County Council upon his mother's death. There he displayed an early entrepreneurial flair by selling sweets to friends.

Aged 14, he joined the Royal Fusiliers and played the french horn in the band. During World War II, he was a captain in the Royal Service Corps and organised entertainment for the troops.

After being demobilised in 1946, he joined entertainment group Mecca. As a publicity officer, he made lasting contributions to entertainment, creating TV show "Come Dancing" in 1948 and the Miss World competition in 1951.

His role developed as Mecca grew from a small entertainment firm into one of the UK's largest leisure groups and, by 1952, he was head of Mecca's dance division. The following year, he became a company director.

After falling out with Mecca's parent company, Grand Metropolitan, he left Mecca in 1978. He became chairman of ailing Scottish brewers Bellhaven and President of entertainers' charity Variety Clubs international.

He flirted with politics during the 1979 election, and with Margaret Thatcher for who he said he would 'do anything', when he narrowly failed to become the Conservative MP for Dulwich, south London.

He was still lively at 63 when he completed the London marathon despite a damaged hamstring, and remained so until he missed the launch of the Miss World 2000 competition with a 'bad back'. He died the following day of a heart attack.

Eric Morley is best known for creating the Miss World competition, which attracted 20 million UK viewers during its heyday and raised £30 million for charity.

However the competition remains dogged by accusations that it exploits women, and it was dropped from UK TV schedules in the 1980s. In a famous incident in 1970, compere Bob Hope was pelted with flour bombs by protestors.

Mr Morley is also credited with launching 'Come Dancing' which became the world's longest running television programme and, as Mecca chairman, popularising bingo in the UK.

A tireless philanthropist, he raised £100 million for charity. The chairman of the Variety Club of Great Britain, Tony Hatch said of him: "Eric Morley was a giant man in every sense of the word, one of the great humanitarians of the 20th century. "