Robin Leach, a celebrity columnist best known for hosting “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” died Thursday, according to a statement released by his family Friday morning.
The statement revealed that Leach’s cause of death was a stroke. He passed away at a hospital in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico on August 23. Leach was vacationing in Mexico when he was rushed to the hospital, and sent to hospice care shortly after.
His voice is often parodied by other actors with his signature phrase, “champagne wishes and caviar dreams,” according to Wikipedia. In honor of the late celebrity writer, here are a few quotes to remember the host by.
On His Life & Interests
“When I interview people, and they give me an immediate answer, they’re often not thinking. So I’m silent. I wait. Because they think they have to keep answering. And it’s the second train of thought that’s the better answer.”
“I like to see things start, grow, and then move on to better things.”
“I try to tell the story, always. I do not want to be part of it.”
“There is this image of a guy in a hot tub, drinking champagne with two buxom blondes. But that is not the real me. I am a father, and I am a grandfather, too.”
“I wanted no other job than to work in newspapers. I was fascinated by the process of collecting information, talking to people and having the story appear in a paper that would be delivered in your letterbox.”
On Rich Lifestyles & America
Robin Leach, who became a symbol of unapologetic opulence as host of the syndicated television show “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” in the 1980s and ’90s, has died t.co/1p7ONj47Ex
“Burnout comes easy in the high-pressure world of television, and when the opportunity arose to move to Las Vegas and bring my friends and star chefs to open their restaurants at the Venetian, I made the move here.”
“Celebrities are nowhere as rich as some people think they are.”
“It is usually people in the money business, finance, and international trade that are really rich.”
“It hurts to see that everything on television is based on pillaring people. Nobody’s sort of given the opportunity to be nice anymore. I think that is somewhat reflective of tragically the society that we live in today where we want to know people off their pedestal or we want to hurt, we want to harm instead of boosting and following by example. It’s always about the crud of society, the black sheep of society that producers seem to think the public wants rather than my old theory of the cream rising to the top.”
“It’s tragic what America has become because there is a great segment of society that now resents luxury and success and achievement by others.”
On Travel & The World
My deepest condolences to the family of #RobinLeach Uncle Robin I affectionally referred to him as, a dear friend, an original, someone u could always count on. Was so inspired w/ Rich&Famous-when we met in 2004 we became fast friends-There will never be another. Forever missed💔
“Whoever would have guessed that in the land of cheap sausages and mashed potatoes there could be such a change which would actually bring the French from Paris every weekend to invade Britain en masse to eat great food and drink great wine.”
“Travel is very subjective. What one person loves, another loathes. I would say a private paradise in the Caribbean. If you want culture and class, I would say Tuscany. If you want exotic, I would say Bangkok, Thailand.”
“I built the ideal house down in the Caribbean. All Englishmen dream of leaving the rain of England and getting a place in the sun – out in the grounds with separate guest houses; that is the ideal scenario.”
On Art, Music & Drama
Saddened to hear the news that Robin Leach has passed away. He was a thoughtful and considerate man, and a great supporter of the entertainment scene in Las Vegas. – Céline xx…
📸: Cashman
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“They say that art comes from the soul. The more drama in an artist’s life, the more he can draw on for his art. Van Gogh and Picasso had troubled souls, but poor Steve Kaufman has been shot once, stabbed 3 times – all by women. That is a lot of drama for great art.”
“If it weren’t for Liberace, there would be no Madonna or Lady Gaga, Elton John, Bette Midler, or Elvis because it was Liberace who helped the King glitz up his act.”
Inspirational Quotes & Thoughts on Life
Last year, @2chainz got a chance to drink champagne and eat unlimited caviar with the late Robin Leach.
Rest in peace to a legend.
“Never give up if you really want something, keep plugging away at it and your dreams can come true.”
“I’m convinced that if the same opportunities were made available to everybody, people would want to better their lot in life.”
“The great thing is these days I no longer have to work for a living and that all of the things that I’m able to do where money is paid as compensation for whatever it be, I’m able to donate all of that to charity. That’s a wonderful position to find yourself in at the latest stages of your life and I’m proud to have walked the path that I have and I’m proud to be able to continue working and to be able to give away what I earn to some very good causes here in the Southwest.”