British comedian dies after long battle with cancer
Legendary comedian Sean Lock has died at the age of 58 as many people around the world mourn his loss, stating he was an “influential” comedian for this generation.
The celebrity was best known for his deadpan humour when he appeared on the British panel shows 8 Out Of 10 Cats and 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown.
Lock’s agent confirmed the father-of-three passed away after a long battle with cancer, surrounded by his family.
A statement from Off The Kerb Productions said: “It is with great sadness that we have to announce the death of Sean Lock.
“He died at home from cancer, surrounded by his family.
“Sean was one of Britain’s finest comedians, his boundless creativity, lightning wit and the absurdist brilliance of his work, marked him out as a unique voice in British comedy.
“Sean was also a cherished husband and father to three children. Sean will be sorely missed by all that knew him.
“We kindly request that the privacy of his family and children is respected at this difficult time.”
Previous battle with cancer
In 1990, Lock was diagnosed with skin cancer while he worked as a labourer on a building site but it’s not clear if this was the type of cancer which returned.
He went on to make a full recovery and has since worked with others to help raise awareness of the disease.
Lock’s final public appearance was in December when he appeared in a video for the charity - Edible London.
Many tributes have flooded in
Tributes to Lock as a person - and to his prodigious talent - have started flooding in from the comedy world.
8 Out Of 10 Cats host Jimmy Carr said: “Brutal news about Sean Lock today. I loved him. I’m watching clips of him right now – laughing & crying. I’ll miss him so much.”
Comedian Lee Mack, who was a close friend, paid tribute saying: “I’ve known this day was coming for some time, but it’s no less heartbreaking. A true original both in comedy and life. I will miss him so much.”
More British personalities took to social media to pay tribute to him, including Ricky Gervais who posted on Twitter: ‘Such sad news. RIP the great Sean Lock. One of the funniest, most influential comedians of a generation. A lovely man.’
Lock’s TV career began in 1993 when he starred alongside Rob Newman and David Baddiel on their signature show Newman And Baddiel In Pieces.
Lock was also praised for his live comedy and won the gong for best live stand-up at the British Comedy Awards in 2000.
In 2005, the comic became a team captain on panel show 8 Out Of 10 Cats and went on to appear for 18 series.
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