BRITISH comedian Mel Smith, has died from a heart attack aged 60, his agent said today.Smith was known for hit 1980s shows Alas Smith and Jones - with Griff Rhys Jones - and Not the Nine O’Clock News.
His agent Michael Foster said the comic died yesterday.
In a statement on behalf of his wife, Pam, Mr Foster said: "Mel Smith, comedian and writer, died on Friday aged 60, from a heart attack at his home in north west London."
Comedian Stephen Fry was among the scores of actors and comedians and TV folk who paid tribute to the late comedian on Twitter.
He wrote: "Terrible news about my old friend Mel Smith, dead today from a heart attack. Mel lived a full life, but was kind, funny & wonderful to know."
Long-running comedy partner Griff Rhys Jones issued a heartfelt statement where he described Smith as someone who "inspired love and utter loyalty".
He said: "I still can’t believe this has happened. To everybody who ever met him, Mel was a force for life. He had a relish for it that seemed utterly inexhaustible.
“He inspired love and utter loyalty and he gave it in return. I will look back on the days working with him as some of the funniest times that I have ever spent.
"Mel was not a pressure person. He was a gentleman and a scholar, a gambler and a wit. And he was a brilliant actor. But he never took himself or the business too seriously. We are all in a state of shock. We have lost a very, very dear friend
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