Legendary TV presenter Wink Martindale has died at the age of 91.

The revered host, known for conducting one of the earliest televised interviews with Elvis Presley, passed away after a seven-decade career. Wink leaves behind his second wife, Sandy, after 49 years of marriage, and four adult children. The presenter died this Tuesday at Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage, California, his publicist Brian Mayes confirms.

Wink became a household name in America as the face of several hit quiz shows such as Gambit, Tic-Tac-Dough, and High Rollers. He kickstarted his journey in broadcasting in 1951 at just 19 years old, and he kept on entertaining viewers right up until 2025. Despite battling lymphoma, he managed to keep presenting. Reports suggest that complications from this illness led to his passing. In his 2000 memoir, Wink reflected on his experience, noting: "From the day it hit the air, Gambit spelled winner, and it taught me a basic tenant of any truly successful game show: KISS! Keep It Simple Stupid", reports the Mirror.

His work on Gambit dominated the ratings against competitors on NBC and ABC for more than two years during the 1970s, cementing his status as a much-loved TV figure.

Tic-Tac-Dough, the iconic X's and O's game show, graced CBS for a solid seven years from 1978 to 1985. Wink was at the helm during the 88-game winning streak of Navy Lt. Thom McKee, who bagged more than $300,000 (£226,000 today) in cash and prizes, including eight cars, three sailboats and 16 holiday trips. At that time, Lt McKee's winnings set a record for a game show contestant.

During his seven-year stint hosting Tic-Tac-Dough, the presenter dished out more than $7 million (£5.3 million today) in cash and prizes, a staggering amount for a game show of its era.

After making a move to WTJS, he was snapped up by Jackson's only other station, WDXI, who offered him double the salary. He then took on the morning slot at WHBQ in Memphis while studying at Memphis State.

Wink was present at the radio station WHBQ, although not on-air, when Elvis Presley's 'That's All Right' was played on WHBQ on July 8, 1954. Seeing an opportunity, Wink approached fellow DJ Dewey Phillips, who had given Presley his early break, proposing a joint interview with Presley on his TV show 'Top Ten Dance Party' in 1956, to which Presley agreed.

Over the years, the pair maintained sporadic contact, and in 1959, Wink conducted a trans-Atlantic phone interview with Presley, who was serving in the Army in Germany. Interestingly, Wink's second wife, Sandy, briefly dated Presley after meeting him on the set of 'G.I. Blues' in 1960.

Wink's children, Lisa, Madelyn, Laura and Wink Jr, are from his first marriage to Madelyn Leech, which ended in divorce in 1972. He tied the knot with Sandy on August 2, 1975.