Legendary TV personality Ian Turpie has died just over a year after being diagnosed with cancer.

Turpie, 68, was a mainstay in mainstream television in a career that spanned over 50 years.

Turpie was diagnosed with cancer on 18 February, 2011, and his family had asked for his privacy to be respected.

The TV personality is best known for hosting "The New Price Is Right", and hosted several other shows including "Press Your Luck" and "Supermarket Sweep".

Stars turned to Twitter to give their thoughts on Turpie, calling him a "good mate".

Fellow game show legend John Burgess said on Twitter: "Very sad day with the news ,we've lost good mate Ian Turpie, I had the honour of calling Turps, mate, our deepest sympathies to Jan & family."

The Morning Show host Larry Emdur wrote: "I saw Turps a few years ago,he said people still yell "COME ON DOWN !!" to him every single day & it still made him smile. #tvlegend"

Ian Turpie More

Born in Melbourne in 1943, Turpie's entertainment career spanned over 50 years after he began at the tender age of 10, when he was accepted at the prestigious Hector Crawford Drama School, where he gained recognition as a juvenile actor working in radio and theatre.

He starred in a number of radio programmes alongside Sir Robert Helpmann and June Bronhill, and featured in the top rating series D24, which became one of the most dominant and influential programs in Australian radio history.

Turpie made regular appearances on Bandstand, Time for Terry and The Graham Kennedy Show. In 1964, Turpie played a bank robber in the original episode of the program that was to become a TV phenomenon Homicide.

In the 1980s, Turpie's name became synonymous with the catchphrase "Come on Down" when he became host of the highly successful, frenzied game show The New Price is Right.