Former BBC and ITV chairman Michael Grade has criticised the absence of a knighthood for Bruce Forsyth ­– blaming “innate snobbery”.

The Strictly Come Dancing host, who turns 83 today and was made a CBE in 2006, has not received the honour despite years of campaigning by his supporters.

Lord Grade told the Radio Times: “It’s shocking that he and other variety performers are never knighted.

“There’s an innate snobbery in Whitehall that music hall is vulgar – trade. It’s the same with television.

“I’ve lost count of the number of dinner-party conversations where someone says, ‘TV is dreadful.’”

“I ask if they’ve seen a particular programme. ‘Oh, yes, that was good’. Their arguments fall apart within seconds. Television hasn’t got worse. It’s different.”

Last year, Mr Forsyth, who started his career at 14 as Boy Bruce, The Mighty Atom, was quoted as saying of not getting the honour: “I’m in very good company. Morecambe and Wise never got a knighthood, the two Ronnies never got a knighthood... I have a CBE which I was very pleased to accept and still am very pleased to accept and if that’s as far as it goes, that’s as far as it goes.”

Lord Grade, who was made a member of the House of Lords last year, defended his record at the BBC, telling the Radio Times that “when he became chairman after the Hutton Inquiry the Corporation was in a terrible state”.