'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous' host Robin Leach dies aged 76

He spent the last two decades working as a celebrity reporter in Las Vegas

Robin Leach has died at the age of 76 (Getty)

Robin Leach, celebrity journalist and former host of the hit TV show “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” has died at the age of 76 in Las Vegas.

The news of Leach’s passing was announced on Twitter by John Katsilometes, a fellow columnist at The Las Vegas Review-Journal where Leach worked as an entertainment reporter.

According to Katsilometes, the late British TV host had suffered a stroke in November and another on Monday and was in hospice care at the time of his death.

“Sad to report the death of famed celeb reporter, friend and colleague Robin Leach at 1.50am in Las Vegas,” Katsilometes wrote. “He would have been 77 Wednesday. He suffered a second stroke Monday.”

Following the news of Leach’s passing, his family released a statement in which they described the “beautiful life” he’d had and expressed their gratitude for “everyone’s support and love over the past, almost one year.”

Leach was well-known for the career he’d built around “champagne wishes and caviar dreams,” offering his viewers a glimpse into the lives of the extravagantly wealthy on "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," which aired in syndication from 1984 to 1995.

He was also a dedicated journalist, telling the Las Vegas Sun in 2011 that he’d “wanted no other job than to work in newspapers.”

“I was fascinated by the process of collecting information, talking to people and having the story appear in a paper that would be delivered in your letterbox," he said.

Prior to his death, Leach had spent the last two decades in Las Vegas covering celebrity news for a variety of publications.

News of Leach’s passing has prompted hundreds of tributes to the late journalist on social media.

“Saddened to hear the news that Robin Leach has passed away. He was a thoughtful and considerate man, and a great supporter of the entertainment scene in Las Vegas,” wrote Celine Dion.