Beloved comedian, 54, dies in freak accident at festival as shocked tributes pour in
Beloved comedian and dog trainer Tony Knight was attending a festival in southern France when the accident occurred.
Australian comedian and dog behaviouralist Tony Knight has died at the age of 54.
The stand-up comic was attending the Rock & Cars festival in Lavaur in southern France when he was killed in an accident on Saturday, June 7, a family member confirmed.
According to reports, he was involved in a freak accident when a large tree branch fell on him and six other attendees. He was the only fatality.
Tony was said to be “having the time of his life” at the festival and was “fit, healthy, happy and had everything going for him”, Joanne Allen wrote on a GoFundMe page.
“Tony had been in France only a few days before he lost his life attending a festival with his friend Pascall, and never made it home,” she wrote.
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Joanne added that Tony was “charismatic, funny, passionate and so very loved”.
“His passion was dogs, and he helped people all over the world with his classes both in person, online, on radio and television, ebooks, and more,” she said.
“He was very well respected and admired. His method worked, and he loved helping people with their dogs.”
She launched a GoFundMe earlier this week to help his partner, who is arranging the funeral, and has since raised $4695.
Tony was a world-renowned "dog listener" and even helped train the pets of stars such as Molly Meldrum, Sonia Kruger and the Dubai Royal Family.
He had planned to to settle down with his Aussie partner of 15 years, Hayley Wright. She now had to travel to the home they intended to share to organise his funeral and a wake with his family in the UK.
Tony's sister Joanne told Daily Mail Australia: "He had just started to live the life he dreamed of, working with dogs while travelling the world and having a home in a quaint French town.
"If he had a thought, he never believed he couldn't do it and just went for it."
Lavaur's mayor Bernard Carayon told the media that "never has such a dramatic event happened in out town".
"I have expressed our profound compassion to the family in this difficult time," he said.
Fans also expressed their shock at the news as one person wrote: "Tony was a talented and loyal friend who loved life, and we loved him. We are sending all our love to dear Jan in England and Hayley in France."
