Conservationist and TV presenter Simon Cowell, who hosted the show Wildlife SOS, has died at the age of 72.

Cowell “passed away peacefully” on Sunday surrounded by his daughters, his partners and his dogs after a “brave battle with cancer”, said the Wildlife Aid Foundation, which he founded.

Paying tribute, the charity called him “one of the UK’s respected conservationists” who was a “passionate advocate for wildlife protection and environmental causes”.

It said he “dedicated his…