Comedian pays tribute to fellow comic Sean
SOUTHPORT’S Lee Mack paid tribute to a “true original” after the death of fellow comedian Sean Lock.
Father-of-three Sean, perhaps best known for his role as team captain on Channel 4 comedy panel show 8 Out Of 10 Cats and spin-off 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown, died of cancer at the age of 58.
Renowned for his surreal content and deadpan style, Sean was beloved to his colleagues in the industry as well as the viewing public who watched him on screen and at live gigs across the country.
Tributes flooded in for the Surreyborn national treasure when his agent confirmed news of his death last Wednesday morning, led by close friend Lee Mack.
The Not Going Out star said: “I’ve known this day was coming for some time, but it’s no less heart-breaking.
“A true original both in comedy and life. I will miss him so much.”
Sean left school in the early 1980s and began working on building sites but developed skin cancer, which he blamed on over-exposure to the sun. He made a full recovery and focused on a career in comedy.
One of his first professional TV appearances was in 1993, starring alongside Rob Newman and David Baddiel on their signature TV show Newman And Baddiel In Pieces.
He script-edited the 1998 BBC Two series, Is It Bill Bailey? and had his own show on BBC Radio 4 called 15 Minutes Of Misery, which was later expanded into TV series 15 Storeys High.
The show was set in a tower block and centred on a pessimistic character called Vince (played by Lock) and his flatmate Errol, played by Benedict Wong.
In 2005 Lock became a regular team captain on the panel show 8 Out Of 10 Cats, a role he held for 18 series Between 2006 and 2007 he hosted Channel 4 series, TV Heaven, Telly Hell, in which he invited celebrities to share their own selection of TV’s triumphs and tragedies.
Emotional tributes showcased the legacy left behind by a man adored by those he worked with and entertained. Among those, Jon Richardson said: “I idolised Sean as a comic long before I became a comedian myself and ten years working alongside him didn’t diminish that in the least. An incredible comic brain and a truly unique voice.
“I’m devastated for his family today and sad for comedy that we have lost one of the very best.”
A statement from his agent 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.”