Rik Mayall dies aged 56

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-27770266

Just been announced on Sky News and the BBC News channel that he's died.

Such a young age, but what a fantastic actor.

We must have posted at the same time Worzel! If a mod could combine (or delete one thread) then feel free. Yes I agree, what a terrific performer.

EDIT
BBC now have a webpage which is worth sharing (rather than the very perfunctory 'more follows' one which was online when I posted)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-27770266

Posts from Death of Rik Mayall have been merged into this topic.

Cue the plethora of reports using rubbish quality clips from YouTube again. Just how did they cope before the internet?!

Can we begin the tributes please?

To be fair they probably wouldn't have used clip until they got a properly sourced copy.

Such sad news. A true comedy great.

First time I heard Rik was on the PS1 game Hogs of War and later The Young Ones. My favourite comedian. RIP

Such a great loss to a great comedian that I fondly remember from my young years when I most probably shouldn't have been watching bottom up to his fantastic return to the screen in Man Down last year.

It was only Saturday that I was watching interviews with him (steaming from a Big Breakfast one). Such shocking news.

GOLD currently showing an episode of Bottom followed by two episodes of The Young Ones. Don't know if they were a late change to the schedule or already scheduled. A still GOLD ident with announcement was used into Bottom. Don't know if they've ever done that before.

They were scheduled anyway.

I'm assuming tonight's continuity was similar to the one used on Monday. A still Gold logo with calmer music played with a generic "you're watching Gold" played over it, and then what seemed to be a separately recorded announcement:

"Gold is very sad to hear of the passing of Rik Mayall. Here he is in one of his most fondly remembered and iconic roles as the timeless Lord Flashheart in Blackadder Goes Forth".