English comedian Sean Lock has died aged 58 following a battle with cancer.
Lock was best known for his appearances on British TV panel shows including QI and 8 Out Of 10 Cats, on which he was a team captain.
However, his stand up career in the UK spanned almost three decades and was often voted amongst the country’s best stand-up comedians.
Lock’s agent released a statement on Wednesday night confirming the news.
“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,” the release reads.
“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.
News of Lock’s death led to an outpouring of tributes from peers in the UK comedy circuit, with comedian Ross Noble tweeting that Lock made him laugh “like few others do”.
With the passing of Sean Lock we have lost the best of the best.He made me laugh like few others do.A massive talent who made stand up look effortless and approached his illness in the same no nonsense way he approached life.A great loss.
— Ross Noble (@realrossnoble) August 18, 2021
I was very shocked and sad to hear of the death of Sean Lock. It was always a privilege and inspiration to work with him. The world should have had many years more of his hilarious creativity. RIP.
— David Mitchell (@RealDMitchell) August 18, 2021
Forget everything else. I’m just gonna watch clips of Sean Lock all night. He was just so, so good. https://t.co/3Hg3LrR3ky
— Adam Hills (@adamhillscomedy) August 18, 2021
Lock is survived by his wife Anoushka and his three children.