19 Oct 2013

Felix Dexter RIP: your tributes to the British comedy star

Stand-up comic and actor Felix Dexter has died of cancer aged 52. Fellow comedians and Channel 4 News viewers pay tribute to the first black comic to get a regular slot at London’s Comedy Store.

Ever since being launched onto the British comedy scene in the 1990s, Felix Dexter secured his place as one of Britain’s best-loved comedians.

He first became known for a series of characters in The Real McCoy and went on to star in comedy staples such as The Fast Show and Absolutely Fabulous.

The St Kitts-born entertainer died of multiple myeloma, a type of bone marrow cancer, on Friday evening.

His many credits include Have I Got News For You and Down the Line, and he continued to play the live circuit throughout his career, as well as performing in several Shakespeare plays at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Colleagues, fans and friends paid tribute to the pioneering entertainer, who was once named Time Out’s comedians of the year.

Actor David Morrissey said he had worked with Felix and was sad to hear the news. “Such a funny, talented and generous man,” he tweeted.

Fellow comedian Sean Hughes wrote: “So so sad to hear about the truly wonderful Felix Dexter passing away. I hope you can feel the love in the comedy community fella. Rip.”

Actor David Schneider remembered Felix’s popular character “Nathaniel the Accountant” on The Real McCoy (see below), which he was perhaps best known for. “Lovely, lovely guy,” he posted. “And I think nothing on TV has ever made me laugh more than his Real McCoy Nigerian character.”

Dexter also amassed a dedicated following after his years as a comedy staple. One fan, Dee Willis, told Channel 4 News there were “too many favourite (moments) to name”.

Mark Horkey added that Dexter “should have been more famous than he was”, while Richard Stone told Channel 4 News: “I enjoyed his many TV and radio appearances – especially his ‘Let Jesus into your life’ character on Radio 4’s ‘Down the Line’.”

Before a career in entertainment, Dexter had studied law. “This legal background is extremely useful in his stand-up comedy career, enabling him to stun hecklers into silence with shouts of ‘objection!’,” his website read.

BBC’s UK comedy production controller Mark Freeland said the comedy community had lost “a hugely popular, pioneering, naturally funny and thoroughly modest actor and comedian”.

“The outpouring of affection today is testament to a lovely, gracious man, seemingly happy to be in the background, but effortlessly and deservedly very much in the comedy foreground,” Mr Freeland added.”Many performers will feel today as if they’ve lost a part of the family.”