LAURENCE Holloway, a former musical director for Strictly Come Dancing and the talk show Parkinson, has died at the age of 86, his family have confirmed.

The English composer, who began his career as a pianist in dance bands, passed away on Thursday following a “short illness,” his daughter Abigail Holloway told the PA news agency.

Throughout his career, the jazz musician collaborated with renowned artists including Engelbert Humperdinck, Sir Tom Jones, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Sammy Davis Jr, Gilbert O’Sullivan, Mel Tormé, Bob Monkhouse, Barry Humphries, and Ronnie Corbett, as well as his late wife, Marion Montgomery.