Michelle Obama and Oprah add to list of tributes to veteran actress Betty White

Michelle Obama Pink and Oprah Winfrey have all added to the long list of celebrity tributes to “legendary” US actress Betty White following her death aged 99.

The award-winning actress, best known for starring as Rose in 1980s sitcom The Golden Girls, has died less than a month before her 100th birthday.

She appeared in hit US sitcoms including Hot In Cleveland, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Betty White Show and Life With Elizabeth during a career spanning more than 80 years.

Former first lady Obama said White had “broken barriers” and her joy would be missed by people all around the world.

Sharing a picture of the actress with the Obama family’s late dog Bo, she wrote: “Betty White broke barriers, defied expectations, served her country, and pushed us all to laugh.

“Barack and I join so many around the world who will miss the joy she brought to the world.

“I know our Bo is looking forward to seeing her up in heaven.”

So What singer Pink said the actress’s performances had helped her feel “less lonely” and that White had been a reminder that “kindness can actually win”.

“I spent my entire 20s watching Golden Girl re-runs,” she wrote on Instagram.

“It made me feel less lonely. I loved Betty White- just like the rest of us.

“To me, she was and will be forever a constant reminder of how kindness can actually win. What a legend. RIP.”

Winfrey thanked White for her life and work, as did fellow US TV host Ellen DeGeneres.

Sharing a picture of the pair together, Winfrey said she was “Celebrating 99 years of your love on the planet.

“Thank you Betty White.”

DeGeneres said that White had led an “exceptional life” and that she was “grateful for every second” she got to spend with her.

Fellow actors also thanked White and lamented the fact that there would “never be another Betty”.

Comedian and actress Kathy Griffin recalled fond memories with White in a long post to social media where she revealed the first time she met White was during her appearance on the sitcom Suddenly Susan in the late 1990s.

“She treated me like we were in the same club or something,” she said.

“She actually treated me like an equal in the comedy gurrrl world.

“She was as sharp and funny as she was soft and wise and no matter how long this world continues to spin, there will be only one Betty White.”

Legally Blonde star Reese Witherspoon praised White for “making us all laugh” as she reshared an announcement for her death by Vanity Fair magazine, adding: “So sad to hear about Betty White passing.

“I loved watching her characters that brought so much joy.

“Thank you, Betty, for making us all laugh!”

American singer and TV presenter Dionne Warwick called her a “brilliant talent” and said she had “the pleasure of getting to know Betty White and shared a few giggles with her”.

Singer Nancy Sinatra revealed that she could not stop crying after the news of White’s death.

She added: “Godspeed, Betty White, you will be remembered and treasured forever.”

During her career, White wrote several books and won five Primetime Emmy Awards out of 21 nominations, and a handful of other top accolades.

The screen veteran was also named the female entertainer with the longest television career by Guinness World Records, having started out in 1939.