Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous host Robin Leach has passed away. He was 76-years old. The news of Leach’s death was confirmed by friend and colleague John Katsilometes on social media. Leach suffered a stroke while on vacation in Cabo San Lucas back in November of 2017 and had been hospitalized ever since. The veteran entertainment journalist suffered a second stroke earlier this week and was place under hospice care.
The family of Robin Leach released a statement that thanked everybody for their love and support over the last year. Many people from the Las Vegas area and Hollywood have been paying tribute to Leach.Star Trekstar William Shatner also posted a tribute on social media along with Motely Crue front man and former Las Vegas native Vince Neil. Leach’s family had this to say about hisdeath.
“Despite the past 10 months, what a beautiful life he had. Our Dad, Grandpa, Brother, Uncle and friend Robin Leach passed away peacefully last night at 1:50 a.m. Everyone’s support and love over the past, almost one year, has been incredible and we are so grateful. Memorial arrangements to follow.”
Robin Leach had been working at the Las Vegas Review Journal as a celebrity columnist since 2016 and worked as much as he could, in an effort to beef up the celebrity coverage for the publication. Leach started his career in journalism at the age of 18, where he was hired by The Daily Mail as Britain’s youngest Page One reporter in 1963. Afterwards, he immigrated to the United States to work for the New York Daily News, People Magazine, and Ladies Home Journal. He started his own magazine, GO, in 1967.
Regis Philbin worked with Robin Leach on his first television gig as a regular contributor to AM Los Angeles. From there, Leach moved on to Entertainment Tonight and CNN, before landingLifestyles of the Rich and Famous, which made the journalist a pop culture star. The show was immensely popular and featured the homes of wealthy celebrities while also showing off destinations for travel and vacations. Leach’s English accent became synonymous with the wealthy lifestyle and his catchphrase, “champagne wishes and caviar dreams,” has been parodied numerous times over the years fromThe SimpsonstoSaturday Night Live.
AfterLifestyles of the Rich and Famousended in 1995, Robin Leach showed up in various TV shows, including VH1’sThe Surreal Life: Fame Games, which he hosted. Leach moved to Las Vegas in the late 90s, which led to him working with the Las Vegas Review Journal later in his life. The journalist loved the challenge and said that he never shied away from hard work in his career, which is evident from his huge workload over the years. You can read Leach family’s full statement atThe Las Vegas Review Journal. Rest in Peace, Robin Leach.
