Daughter’s tribute to ‘generous, foul mouthed’ Mayall

Rik Mayall’s daughter has paid tribute to her "generous, foul mouthed and hysterical father" after his death aged 56.

The star, who shot to fame playing poetry-writing anarchist Rick in The Young Ones, was found dead at his home in London on Monday.

Writing on Facebook, Bonnie Mayall said: “My dad was loved not only by my family, but by many, many others.

“We will never forget him and neither will the world.

“RIP to the man, the myth, the legend — my wonderful, generous, foul mouthed and hysterical father. My idol now and forever.

“We love you daddy.”

Mayall’s Comic Strip Presents... colleague Peter Richardson, whose son was one of the last people to see the actor alive, said he was happy and healthy in the hours before his death.

Richardson, who directed Mayall in a series of TV shows, told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme his son saw him around half an hour before he died.

He said: “He was chatting away and it was very quick and we still don’t quite know what happened but it was a seizure of some sort.”

Mayall, who leaves his wife Barbara and three children, Rosie, Sidney, and Bonnie, survived an almost fatal quad bike accident in 1998 which left him in a coma for several days.

Richardson said: “He had 16 years after the quad bike and at the time I don’t think people thought he would survive that but he lived for another 16 years and it was just shocking that he went — he was so happy and seemed very healthy when he did go.”

Mayall enjoyed a glittering career which saw him appear in Britain’s best-loved shows including Blackadder and Bottom.

Richardson said the star “loved playing the bad boy”, but was very different in real life. He said: “He always wanted to be a rebel but in fact was a lovely family man who did the washing up and was just a very warm person and not as selfish and vain as he liked to make out really.”

Close friend and long-time collaborator Adrian Edmondson led the tributes to Mayall, saying he felt privileged to have shared “carefree stupid days” with him at Manchester University, where the pair studied.

He 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 bastard.”

Stephen Fry, who also starred in Blackadder, said on Twitter: “Simply distraught to hear of the death of Rik Mayall. An authentic comedy genius and a prince among men.”

Ben Elton, who was also a university friend of Mayall, said: “I owe him so much. He changed my life utterly when he asked me to co-write The Young Ones with him and he was with me on the day I met my wife. He always made me cry with laughter, now he’s just made me cry.”