Rik Mayall - A Legend passes away

[WTF]

British comedian and actor Rik Mayall has died aged 56, according to his management team.

He played the obnoxious, poetry-writing anarchist Rick in The Young Ones alongside his friend Adrian Edmonson before the duo later went on to star in their sitcom Bottom.

Mayall also appeared in shows including Blackadder and The New Statesman.

He was left seriously ill after a quad bike accident in 1998 which left him in a coma for several days.

Mayall's film roles included the comedies Drop Dead Fred and Guest House Paradiso.

His big break came at The Comic Strip Club, performing with comedy partner Adrian Edmondson as 20th Century Coyote in the 1980s which led to cult television hit The Comic Strip Presents.

He co-wrote The Young Ones with Lise Mayer and Ben Elton, which shared cult status and schoolboy humour with later sitcom Bottom.

Mayall and Edmonson's slapstick comedy often involved fires, explosions, and hefty blows to the head with a frying pan.

Mayall also famously played the loud-mouthed and lecherous Lord Flashheart in BBC comedy series Blackadder, starring Rowan Atkinson.

He appeared in the second and fourth series, shouting catchphrases such as "woof!" and "let's do-oo-oo it!".

But his early, anarchic characters gave way to the smooth, scheming Conservative politician Alan B'Stard in The New Statesman, which ran on ITV from 1986 to 1992.

A statement from Mayall's management, Brunskill, said: "We are deeply saddened to announce the death of Rik Mayall who passed away this morning.

"We will be issuing a further statement in the fullness of time."

I'm a bit shell shocked.

The news was broken to me by my Sister, the text said 'Rik Mayell...He died'

Such a legend, LOVED him in Drop Dead Fred, and obviously Bottom and the Young Ones.

'Oh what a lovely blouse'

I've been told his Jackanory - George's Marvellous Medicine is awesome, couldn't think of a better person to narrate Roald Dahl.

What a sad day for comedy.

[BeefMasta]

[Clean Your Ride]

Gutted. Loved Rik and Alan B'stard. Such a shame.

[Soran]

My teenage years were spent watching him and Ade in The Young Ones, Filthy Rich and Catflap, Bottom, Blackadder, New Statesman, Kevin Turvey, Dangerous Brothers, Comic Strip etc etc. To say I'm gutted is an understatement. The man will always be a legend in my eyes.

Here is something of his that passed a lot of people by. Be nice if it got to Number 1 during the World Cup.

His speech in this video is just Awesome!

[Dj155]

What a guy R.I.P Rik

[mk2k41]

He was a legend, RIP .

[HailVectron]

Really sad news this. It also means one of my favourite comedies in the last few years - "Man Down" - won't have one of the shows' central (and funniest) characters...

[lfcrule1972]

So sad, loved watching him when I was growing up - pure comedy genius