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LEGENDARY British singer-songwriter Chris Rea has tragically passed away aged 74.

The singer, from Middlesbrough, penned the smash hit Driving Home For Christmas in 1978.

Christopher Rea was born on 4 March 1951 in Middlesbrough in the North Riding of Yorkshire to an Italian father, Camillo Rea, and an Irish mother, Winifred K. Slee.

In 1973 he joined the local Middlesbrough band, Magdalene and began writing songs.

He went on to enjoy a long and sucesfull career on the British music scene.

His most famous song Driving Home for Christmas, song has made a reappearance on the UK Singles Chart every year since 2007.

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It’s now a chart regular at this time of year, reaching its highest position in 2021 when it made it to number 10.

Rea was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the age of just 33 and faced nine serious operations – spending a total of 32 weeks in hospital.

While appearing on the TV show Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing Christmas special in 1994 Rea told the hosts he had “never really gotten over” his diagnosis.

He has previously opened up on his health battle, revealing that some of his internal organs, his pancreas, gallbladder, and left quadrant of the liver were “all gone” after an operation.

It was after he had received the lifesaving surgery that the star discovered he had type 1 diabetes.

Speaking candidly about the moment he told his wife Joan Lesley about the diagnosis Rea said: “She pulled the car over and burst into tears.”

Chris has previously said he has to take “34 pills every day” after his health struggles.

His wife Joan was there when the hitmaker wrote the Christmas favourite Driving Home for Christmas.

The pair have been together since they met as 16 year olds in Middlesbrough and it is said Rea has the longest surviving relationship in the music industry.

The couple have two daughters together Josephine, born 16 September 1983, and Julia Christina, born 18 March 1989.

Speaking to Bob Mortimer about its origins, Chris previously said: “I was on the dole when I wrote that.

“My manager had just left me. I’d just been banned from driving.

“My now wife, Joan, had to drive down to London to pick me up in the Mini and take me home, and that’s when I wrote it.”

That Christmas drive up north was a magical one indeed, not only did he write a famous song, he also received a cheque for £15,000 upon stepping through his front door.

His song Fool (if you think it’s over) had become a hit in America and earned him a pretty sum. The timing couldn’t have been better given he was down to his last £200.

It was a while before Driving Home would make any money.

The Good Morning Britain presenter made a cheeky joke about legal action against his co-stars on The Celebrity Apprentice.

Good Morning Britain presenter Rob Rinder delivered a cheeky jibe at Lord Alan Sugar during his appearance on The Celebrity Apprentice.

The festive special is making a comeback with two episodes this Christmas, boasting a star-studded lineup including AJ Odudu, Angela Scanlon, Charlie Hedges, Eddie Kadi, Jake Wood, JB Gill, Kadeena Cox, Matt Morsia, Thomas Skinner, Sarah Hadland, and Shazia Mirza.

Competing to raise funds for BBC Children In Need, the celebrities have been challenged with creating their own gingerbread biscuits, with filming taking them to Lapland for the task.

Facing off against fellow TV personalities, a Gladiator, a former Apprentice contestant, and several actors, Rob stepped up as project manager for his squad.

Despite Lord Sugar’s reputation for reducing countless hopefuls to rubble over the years, the barrister showed no signs of intimidation, reports Wales Online.

Lord Sugar kicked things off by remarking: “It would be good if I knew any of you, I’ve got your CVs here.

“Rob, apart from guiding these people legally, what do you feel you might be able to bring in a business point of view?”

The GMB presenter shot back: “Well, I can feel the assets of the other team, I’m hoping.”

He subsequently confessed: “My strategy going into this is wit, and if that fails, I’ll be bringing legal action.”

Upon arriving at their destination, Rob’s banter became even sharper, delivering a pointed quip about Lord Sugar whilst maintaining his fearless approach.

Discussing his team, he remarked: “These are exceptional people, when you have a wealth of that talent and a wealth of that experience, the most important thing is to empower people to speak.”

He boldly declared: “We live or die together, but if we fail, I’ll be the first person to offer myself to be sacked to Lord Sugar.

“I’m not the least bit afraid of him, my grandma was more frightening than him.”

Lord Sugar, speaking about the return of The Celebrity Apprentice, previously revealed: “It’s the first ever time on The Celebrity Apprentice that the public can buy products that were created by the celebrity candidates. It’s added some real pressure to the process.

“I think the celebs thought they were in for an easy ride, but they were wrong! Raising money for BBC Children in Need is serious business, so the candidates really need to deliver if they want to avoid ending up on my naughty list.”

Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment Commissioning at the BBC, also chimed in: “The celebrity candidates will be giving viewers a tasty treat or two this Christmas that viewers can literally sink their teeth into, all while supporting the incredible work of BBC Children in Need. Are viewers going to be Team Gary the Penguin or Team Jolly McTrouble? Let the festive boardroom battle begin!”

Paul Broadbent, Director of Programmes at Naked, commented: “We have taken The Apprentice out of the boardroom and straight onto the shelves. These special episodes bridge the gap between entertainment and real-world impact. It is a rare opportunity for audiences to buy, taste and enjoy something they’ve watched being created on screen and it has been great fun seeing the celebs’ ideas come to life, all in aid of a fantastic charity.”

The Celebrity Apprentice airs on December 29 and 30 at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer.