COVID-19 Claims Life Of British Comedian Tim Brooke-Taylor
Over the weekend, acclaimed British comedian Tim Brooke-Taylor succumbed to complications brought about by COVID-19.
NBC News reports that the 79-year-old regular of British radio and television passed away on Sunday morning. During the course of his 40-year career, Brooke-Taylor earned the admiration of several of his colleagues.
Graeme Garden, Brooke-Taylor’s co-star on British comedy series “The Goodies,” said that his death was “hard to bear.” Garden remembered him as a “funny, sociable, generous man.”
Meanwhile, author and actor Stephen Fry considered Brooke-Taylor a hero, a colleague, and a collaborator. Fry also praised him for having a piercing wit.
In their obituary for Brooke-Taylor, the BBC looked back at his long career, starting from his time with the Cambridge Footlights, where he counted Monty Python member John Cleese as one of his contemporaries.
During his time as president of the Cambridge Footlights, their 1963 revue ended up becoming a smash hit, first at the Edinburgh Festival and then making its way to the West End, an Australian and New Zealand tour, before finally landing on Broadway in 1964.
Brooke-Taylor’s broadcasting career began with the BBC radio, where he quickly became known for his performances and his scripts.
Brooke-Taylor wrote and performed for BBC radio’s “I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again” in 1964, with the show paving the way for Month Python and Brooke-Taylor’s own “The Goodies.”
On television, Brooke-Taylor is best remembered for his work on “The Goodies,” which ran for 12 years. The show also spawned the song “Funky Gibbon,” which was a Top 10 hit in the United Kingdom. His other credits include “Hello Cheeky,” “One Foot in the Grave,” “Heartbeat,” and “Agatha Christie's Marple.”
He also continued to be a regular presence on BBC radio, appearing on “I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue” and the radio version of “Hello Cheeky.”
Aside from Brooke-Taylor, other entertainment figures that have died because of the coronavirus include celebrity chef Floyd Cardoz, British comedian Eddie Large, legendary singer-songwriter John Prine, Broadway star Mark Blum, and actor and dialect coach Andrew Jack.
Coronavirus infections continue to rise around the world, according to regular situation reports released by the World Health Organization. The report for Apr. 12 puts the number of confirmed cases at 1,696,588, with new cases at 85,679 people. Deaths caused by COVID-19 are now at 105,952, with 6,262 of those being new deaths.
In the United Kingdom, The Guardian reports that confirmed cases are now at 84,279 people. Deaths in the United Kingdom due to COVID-19 are now at 10,612.