Top BBC comedian Tony Slattery dies aged 65 after heart attack as tributes pour in
Tony Slattery had made a comeback in recent years after finding huge success on Whose Line Is It Anyway in the 80s.
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Comedian Tony Slattery has died aged 65, his long term partner Mark Michael Hutchinson confirmed.
His cause of death has been confirmed as a heart attack following a string of heartbreaking health battles.
"It is with great sadness we must announce actor and comedian Tony Slattery, aged 65, has passed away today, Tuesday morning, following a heart attack on Sunday evening," he said.
Tributes poured in for the star, who found fame on Channel 4's Whose Line Is It Anyway?, as fans and friends learned the sad news. "RIP #TonySlattery - only 65 . He was such a cutie in the 90’s .. had a teen crush on him too," one person wrote on X.
"Beyond heartbreaking. He was always loved by us all. He suffered so much and was back on top form. I can't believe this. #TonySlattery," another cried. A third chimed in: "RIP #TonySlattery. Genuine funny guy."
"So sad to hear about #TonySlattery passing. He was a huge inspiration to me in the 90s," wrote a fourth.
One fan recalled: "RIP #TonySlattery One of my comedy heroes growing up. Memories of staying up to watch Whose Lone is it Anyway? With my Dad on a Friday night are very fond ones."
Writer and podcaster Paul Carmichael shared an image of the pair together and wrioe: "My lovely, lovely chum. I shall miss you so very much. #TonySlattery."
Alongside Whose Line Is It Anyway?, he also appeared on other comedy shows such as the TV version of the BBC's popular radio quiz Just A Minute and Have I Got News For You. He also hosted a TV version of the popular game Trivial Pursuit.
Outside of comedy, he also found success as an actor with roles in acclaimed movies The Crying Game, Peter's Friends and How to Get Ahead in Advertising. On TV he appeared in five episodes of Coronation Street amongst other guest appearances.
At the height of his fame he was on TV so much he became the subject of satire. The 1991 Have I Got News for You annual showed images of the game from around the world, and each local variant featured Slattery as a guest.
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In recent years personal issues overshadowed his success as he battled alcoholism and drug addiction. He admitted a £4,000-a-week cocaine habit led to a breakdown in 1996 when he stayed in his Thameside flat for six months and disappeared from the public eye. He he also went bankrupt describing it as "b***** awful."
“Yes, it b****y well was [awful]. Mark picked up the pieces to some extent. It was my fiscal illiteracy and general innumeracy, my waste, my misplaced trust in people, naivete, stupidity, people taking advantage… One’s still in jail. And, yes, in dark moments, I remember how when the money runs out the phone stops ringing." he pondered.
After he revealed his issues in 2019 he enjoyed a resurgence of public interest and returned to stages with his own show and also made appearances in the stage version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? at Edinburgh Fringe in 2020.
In 2020 he and his partner Mark Hutchinson also featured in an edition of the BBC's Horizon series entitled "What's the Matter with Tony Slattery?".
In a detailed examination of his mental health, childhood trauma and substance addictions, medical professionals concluded that Slattery was continuing to suffer the effects of trauma relating to childhood abuse as he was on the bi-polar spectrum and suffered alcohol dependence.
