Don't know why in particular, but I was really knocked back reading that today, since I never met him or was particularly a fan. Maybe it's that there've been a couple of pieces on the Beeb in recent times touching on his battle with cancer and giving out really positive vibes about his recovery, then it came to nought.
A similar thing happened with Bob Monkhouse that time. And Paul Eddington. Just made it more of a shock than it might have been otherwise I suppose.