Barry Cryer Dies, Aged 86
The comedy legend Barry Cryer has sadly died. aged 86.
Cryer’s son Bob took to social media to tell fans that the comedian died “peacefully, in good spirits and with his family around him”.
He said: “Dad was a talented comedy writer and comedian in a particularly golden vintage.
“It’ll be of no surprise to those that knew and worked with him that he was telling an Archbishop of Canterbury joke to a nurse not long before he died. That was one of his gifts, making strangers feel welcome, making them laugh.”
Bob Cryer added: “He leaves behind him a life of fun, joy, love and silliness and we’ll all be doing our best to maintain that legacy.”
The news was announced earlier today as breaking news
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Tributes have poured in for the comedian and writer.
Cryer wrote for comedy giants including The Two Ronnies, Tommy Cooper and Morecambe and Wise, as well as starring on the airwaves and on stage himself.
The world of comedy has been remembering him, with Fawlty Towers star John Cleese said of him “I never met a nicer, kinder, more cheerful man.”
Dame Esther Rantzen described Cryer as an “encyclopaedia of humour”.
The TV presenter, who first worked with him in the 1960s, told the PA news agency: “In a way, Barry was a genius, but so unassuming that he would be astonished, I think, to be called a genius – but he was.”
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Stephen Fry described him as “one the absolute greats of British comedy”, while actor and writer Mark Gatiss added: “Barry Cryer was the real deal.
“[He was] an incredibly funny man who worked with – and wrote for – the giants of comedy. Yet he remained forever curious and delighted by whatever was fresh and original. Kind, encouraging, generous and a one off.”
Broadcaster Gyles Brandreth described Cryer, who was a fixture on BBC radio panel shows like Just A Minute and I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue, as “just the loveliest guy; funny and generous”.