Croydon comedian Ronnie Corbett died at the age of 85 this morning.
The legendary British comedian passed away in hospital surrounded by his family, his publicist confirmed.
Born in Edinburgh, the popular entertainer lived in Shirley, Croydon for many years.
His publicist said: “Ronnie Corbett CBE, one of the nation’s best-loved entertainers, passed away this morning, surrounded by his loving family.
“They have asked that their privacy is respected at this very sad time.”
Fans and fellow comedians have been posting tributes to The Two Ronnies star on Twitter throughout the day.
Merton funny-man David Walliams called the Scottish stand-up comedian his idol in a touching tweet.
Goodbye my friend and comedy idol #RonnieCorbett Thank you for all the laughs. It was the greatest honour to know and work with you.
— David Walliams HQ (@davidwalliams) March 31, 2016
Richmond’s Shappi Khorsandi also posted her condolences.
What a beautiful moment this must have been. Goodnight Ronnie Corbett. Legend. https://t.co/j4B1ulWJXN
— Shaparak Khorsandi (@ShappiKhorsandi) March 31, 2016
Outside of the world of comedy, David Cameron and Jeremy Corbyn praised Mr Corbett’s work.
Ronnie Corbett had the rare talent of making all generations laugh. He'll be remembered as one of the all time great comedians.
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) March 31, 2016
Ronnie Corbett was a giant of British entertainment who was loved by millions. He will be dearly missed. Our thoughts are with his family
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) March 31, 2016
Featured image courtesy of The Graham Norton Show via YouTube, with thanks
