Matthew Strachan: Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? composer dies at 50

Matthew Strachan, the English composer who co-wrote the theme music for Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, has died at the age of 50.

Strachan wrote the quiz show's theme and dramatic incidental music with his father Keith.

It became well-known around the world thanks to the programme's many international versions.

"Matthew was loved by his family and he will be sadly missed," Keith Strachan told the BBC.

"He was a warm, funny and talented human being."

The father-and-son team wrote a total of 95 pieces of music for the show over eight days in 1998.

They went on to win them the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers' award for the the most-broadcast piece of music on US TV for 10 years in a row, earning them a place in the organisation's hall of fame.

Matthew Strachan's other works included the music for BBC Radio 4's Home Front and for some of Jasper Carrott's BBC comedy shows, including police spoof The Detectives.

Writer Dirk Maggs remembered Strachan on Twitter as a "dear friend and massive talent" who had been "gentle, kind, talented and wickedly funny".

Composer Kevin Sargent also paid tribute, saying he had been "a talented, clever, funny man whose most famous work redefined the genre of the TV game show".

According to his company biography, Matthew Strachan also wrote scores for musicals and occasionally performed his own "characterful" songwriting.

He also penned two mystery novels with wife Bernadette under the pseudonym MB Vincent.

Earlier this year he was charged with arson after setting fire to his home.