Your Tributes To Sky's Bob Friend

Bob understood better than most what interested the public and he also understood that laughter is important in our lives. He loved to joke. He loved to laugh. At times on air he found it hard to keep a straight face and reduced his fellow presenter and the gallery team to fits and fits of laughter. Crazy days. Bob was Bob - the same on screen as off it. He had a zany sense of humour, a love of the absurd and a disregard for convention. I will miss him a very great deal.

Bob's charm, outrageous sense of humour and relish of mischief made him the easiest man in the world to get on with. It's all too simple to say: "Oh, and he was a great journalist too," but he really was and that made him an outstanding figure. He had this remarkable knack of caring a lot and knowing a lot. The infectious smile, inevitably exploding into that trademark guffaw, was never far away but even after 50 years in the trade he hated sloppy journalism and wouldn't put up with it.

Bob's charm, outrageous sense of humour and relish of mischief made him the easiest man in the world to get on with. It's all too simple to say: "Oh, and he was a great journalist too," but he really was and that made him an outstanding figure. He had this remarkable knack of caring a lot and knowing a lot. The infectious smile, inevitably exploding into that trademark guffaw, was never far away but even after 50 years in the trade he hated sloppy journalism and wouldn't put up with it.I wasn't at Sky when it started back in 1989 but it was clear to everyone that the choice of Bob as senior anchor was an inspired one.With precious few resources at the channel's disposal, he dominated the screen with that winning combination of authority and charm that set Sky on its way to becoming something special, something that would eventually change the way TV news was made – and watched – in Britain. He set the tone for that.