LONDON — Veteran broadcaster David Frost, who won fame around the world for his interview with former President Richard Nixon, has died, his family told the BBC. He was 74.

Frost died of a heart attack on Saturday night aboard the Queen Elizabeth cruise ship, where he was due to give a speech, the family said. The cruise company Cunard says its vessel had left the English port of Southampton on Saturday for a 10-day cruise in the Mediterranean.

Known for incisive interviews of leading public figures, Frost spent more than 50 years as a television star.

David Frost

Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted: “My heart goes out to David Frost’s family. He could be – and certainly was with me – both a friend and a fearsome interviewer.

The BBC says it received a statement from Frost’s family saying it was devastated and asking “for privacy at this difficult time.”