The spring of 2005. A bunch of hapless Englishmen are in Los Angeles. None of us have pitched to US broadcasters before. We don't know where we are, who they are, what to wear, what to say, even our agent thinks we're idiots. We're trying to sell a show that every network has rejected twice, they're literally laughing at us as we start to pitch "that" ballroom dancing show. But we have a secret weapon. We have Richard Hopkins.

It's hard to believe now, with Strictly having just ended its ninth series on such a high, when US version Dancing with the Stars series 15 is being cast and the Guinness Book of Records acclaims it as the most popular reality television format in the world, what a difficult thing it was to develop, sell and produce Strictly/Dancing in those early days. Strictly's triumph was the product of a number of people working together, but only one person could claim to be the lead creative and the man who sold it to America. That man was Richard Hopkins.

Not that he would have done. He was too self-effacing for that, too proud of the team that he put together, of the collective triumph, to try to grab the spotlight. That's why production teams loved him and followed him, both in the UK and the US.

At Endemol, Richard was one of the pioneers of the reality television revolution with Big Brother. Getting him into the BBC was an attempt to bring BBC Entertainment into the modern world. And it worked. He brought an astonishing range of new producing talent to the BBC, all of whom have gone on to great things both in the UK and the US. We enjoyed a golden age and Richard was our pinup boy.

Too much of a pinup boy for my liking, mind you. Too bloody good looking, always bronzed and toned, like some Greek god come down amidst us. It's typical of the man that the original idea of a celebrity dancing show came to him, he said, when he was in a jacuzzi drinking champagne with his wife Katy. Typical Hopkins.

When I think of him now, I see that beautiful, cheeky smile: impish, naughty, teasing. I see him in a live gallery, a beacon of calm amidst the clamour and chaos, spotting the rocks ahead, quietly taking control, bringing the ship out of the storm and into safe waters again. I see him feigning innocence at some outlandish pranks at a Rose D'Or hotel. I see him working and reworking a pitch until it was note perfect. I see him on his wedding day with Katy, amidst the sheer love and joy that surrounded them both.

Richard Hopkins oversaw a genuine phenomenon, he gave talented young people opportunities to shine and knew life was to be enjoyed and savoured. If the world seems darker, his passing draining it of colour, then we should comfort ourselves knowing that his creation will continue to bring light and happiness to people throughout the world for years to come and that his three beautiful daughters all have their dad's sparkle in their eyes. We were lucky to have him.

As head of entertainment group, Wayne Garvie brought Richard Hopkins into the BBC and worked with him when running BBC Worldwide's international production business. He is now All3Media's managing director of international production