Tim Brooke-Taylor, star of The Goodies, dies after contracting COVID-19
Coronavirus: Tim Brooke-Taylor, star of The Goodies, dies after contracting COVID-19
Tim Brooke-Taylor, the comedy star best known for The Goodies, has died aged 79 after contracting coronavirus, his agent has said.
Tim Brooke-Taylor, the comedy star best known for The Goodies, has died aged 79 after contracting coronavirus, his agent has said.
In a statement, his representative said: “It is with great sadness that we announce Tim’s death early today from Covid-19.
“We will remember him for so much but must just mention The Goodies and I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue.
“He had, of course, many fans whom he always treated cheerfully even after long and exhausting rehearsals and recordings.
“He was an exceptional client and a pleasure to represent.”
Fellow Goodie Graeme Garden said: “I am terribly saddened by the loss of a dear colleague and close friend of over 50 years.
“Tim and I met at Cambridge University in the early 1960s and have enjoyed working together almost constantly from that time onwards, on radio, stage, and TV.
“He was a funny, sociable, generous man who was a delight to work with. Audiences found him not only hilarious but also adorable.
“His loss at this dreadful time is particularly hard to bear, and my thoughts are with Christine, Ben, Edward and their families.”
He was a regular panellist on BBC Radio 4’s I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue for over 40 years, often alongside Graeme Garden.
Current host Jack Dee said: “It has come as devastating news to hear that Tim has succumbed to this dreadful virus – especially when we all thought he was recovering.
“Tim was a delightful man and never anything but great company.”
Sioned Wiliam, Radio 4’s commissioning editor for comedy, added: “He was charming, quick witted and a hugely skilful comic” who will, she said “be sorely missed by all at Radio 4.”
After starting his performing career in the famed Footlights group at Cambridge University, he moved onto radio with I’m Sorry, I’ll Read That Again.
His break into TV came in 1967 in At Last The 1948 Show, where he starred alongside future Monty Python members John Cleese and Graham Chapman.
The comedian found worldwide fame as part of The Goodies, an anarchic TV comedy which ran from 1970 to 1982, alongside Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie.
The programme, set in a flat shared by the trio, drew audiences of millions of viewers in its heyday, making him a household name in the UK, as well as Australia and New Zealand.
Often compared to groundbreaking post-war radio comedy The Goon Show, The Goodies was massively popular in its time.
While its wit appealed to adults, its visual humour, such as a memorable episode that featured a giant kitten toppling the Post Office tower, drew in children.
The show’s songs, notably The Funky Gibbon, achieved chart success.
SOURCE: SKY NEWS
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