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Haunting last pictures of John McCririck looking frail emerge after his death

The legendary racing pundit, who died today aged 79, looked frail in his last public appearance before his death

Last pictures of a frail John McCririck have emerged after his death.

McCririck - known as 'Big Mac' to many in the racing world - was a familiar face on Channel 4's coverage of the sport for many years, with his career on television spanning four decades.

In a statement his family confirmed John died today in hospital after a period of ill health.

His death was first reported on Racing Post who tweeted: "Sad to report that legendary racing broadcaster John McCririck has died at the age of 79."

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(Image: SplashNews.com)

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John in his hey day(Image: Press Association)

On John's outing back in January he looked particularly frail sporting a blazing red Make America Great Again cap.

Roger Easterby, a close friend of McCririck for more than 40 years, told the Racing Post: "John was often referred to as being like Marmite, but I believe people genuinely liked him. He was kind, generous and knew his subject inside out."

He explained last year his shrinking frame came after he caught a nasty bout of flu following stress.

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He looked unrecognisable(Image: SplashNews.com)

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(Image: PA)

Last year John made a chilling prediction about his own health, revealing he believes he had just months to live following his extreme weight loss.

"Life is empty. I don't expect to be alive this time next year. It's a question of slipping away," he told the Daily Mail in November.

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John looked frail as he walked unaided(Image: SplashNews.com)

"'Racing was my life but now when I go I think: 'What am I doing here?' I feel like a dinosaur. You're a lost soul wandering around an environment you're no longer part of," he added.

The ex racing pundit was the face of Channel 4 racing but was dropped in 2012 after 28 years at the helm.

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