Rik Mayalldied on Monday 9 June and fans - including plenty of celebrities - have been sharing their fond memories of him since.
Bob Mortimer is one of the stars who rushed to pay tribute, describing Rik as “the funniest man of his generation” and alongside the many quotes from Rik’s sketches and TV appearances, this letter to a fan from 2008 has been shared online.
Originally featured on the website Letters Of Note, the hand-written reply to a fan’s email request for an autograph showcases Rik’s fantastic sense of humour - and love for the occasional profanity.
Rik's response to the request
The note reads:
"Here you are Daniel, thank you so much for writing. I hope you like the picture.
"Best wishes my dear friend."
Rik died at his Surrey home on Monday at the age of 56. His previous health issues include serious head injuries and epilepsy following a serious quad bike accident in 1998.
“We don’t know yet what happened. He had a strong heart so I don’t think it was a heart attack,” she said.
“But we just don’t know until the coroner’s report. Maybe he had a fit, maybe it was his heart, we just don’t know.”
Police officers arrived shortly afterwards who spoke to the family including the couple's three children, Rosie, 28, Sidney, 26, and 19-year-old Bonnie.
Rik’s body was taken from the house and driven away in a coroner’s office ambulance at around 7pm.
Rik Mayall
While some people who worked with Rik recently have suggested he had health problems, Producer Sjef Scholte, who was working with him on a new movie called 'The Escape' just last week, told the Mirror: “He was having a lot of fun and was so happy.
“He made no complaints about being ill that’s why it is such a shock. He doesn’t drink at all. He did all the scenes and we had a wonderful time. Everybody enjoyed his presence.”
Tributes poured in for Rik yesterday, including from Adrian Edmondson, his long-time friend and colleague, who said: “There were times when Rik and I were writing together when we almost died laughing.
“They were some of the most carefree stupid days I ever had, and I feel privileged to have shared them with him.
“And now he’s died for real. Without me. Selfish b*****d.”
