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Comedian Sean Lock dies after ‘quiet’ battle with cancer, aged 58
The award-winning stand-up and television show panellist died at home surrounded by his family, his agent said
Comedian Sean Lock has died after "quietly wrestling" with cancer away from the public eye. He was 58.
Lock had an award-winning stand-up career and was a familiar face on the Channel 4 panel show 8 Out Of 10 Cats. He was a regular on QI and Have I Got News For You, and on Radio 4.
He was diagnosed with skin cancer when in his 20s, before he began his career in comedy, and a malignant melanoma was removed. Fans were unaware that he had received a more recent cancer diagnosis.
A statement from his agent said: "It is with great sadness that we have to announce the death of Sean Lock. He died at home from cancer, surrounded by his family.
"Sean was one of Britain's finest comedians. His boundless creativity, lightning wit and the absurdist brilliance of his work marked him out as a unique voice in British comedy. Sean was also a cherished husband and father to three children. He will be sorely missed by all that knew him."
Bill Bailey said he was heartbroken to lose his "dearest friend", telling The Telegraph: "Even in his last days we were still joking, still coming up with ideas. We had great conversations, and I brought my guitar in and I sang him Johnny Cash songs."
The pair met on the comedy circuit 30 years ago and immediately hit it off. Bailey said: "We went through our whole career together. He had this strange, brilliant but almost playfully innocent way of approaching everything. He saw humour in the most unlikely of subjects."
Harry Hill, writing for The Guardian, said Lock had maintained a sense of humour in the face of cancer. He said: "He took his illness in typically dry style. I heard he was in a hospice for a bit of rest. I called him up. 'Wow!' I said. 'A hospice, what’s that like?' 'It's ok,' he said, '...and the sex is amazing.'"
Lee Mack, another comedian and close friend, said: "I've known this day was coming for some time, but it's no less heartbreaking. A true original both in comedy and life. I will miss him so much."
QI panellist Alan Davies said: "We met in 1988, right at the start of our stand-up careers. I hadn't seen him in recent years as he quietly wrestled with illness but I feel very sad today for [his wife] Anoushka and their children. RIP Locky."
Lock disclosed in 2010 that he had been diagnosed with cancer at 27 after several years of working on a building site.
"You could hardly ask a big Irish foreman: 'Please could you rub some Ambre Solaire on my back?' And we didn't wear hats either," he recalled.
It is understood Lock died from another form of cancer. Channel 4 will devote Thursday's programming to Lock, broadcasting his stand-up special and an episode of 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.
The broadcaster said he had "played a pivotal role on the channel for over two decades".