Little Britain and Midsomer Murders star Robert Blythe passes away aged 71 

Welsh actor Robert Blythe has passed away aged 71 after a long illness.  

Christian Patterson, who starred alongside Robert in the Clwyd Theatr Cymru company in 1997, announced: ‘Bob was a wonderful actor and a wonderful man…. I have starred in many productions with him, and he was an incredibly funny man…

‘You know if you were going to be in his company, you were going to end up laughing hysterically. He was the type of man who would buy a watch from a man in a pub, and then wonder why it had broken a week later. He was just hilarous.’ 

Shock: Welsh actor Robert Blythe has passed away aged 71

Robert was best known in his native country for his starring role as Richard ‘Fagin’ Hepplewhite in Welsh sitcom from 2002 to 2008.

He starred in an episode of Little Britain in 2004 while also appearing in a host of episodes of The Bill between 1991-2004. In 2008 he played George Miller in an episode of Midsomer Murders.

Tributes soon flooded in for the actor, proving his love all over the acting world. 

Fans took to Twitter to pen: ‘High Hopes was one of the first sitcoms I ever watched when I “discovered” comedy and Robert Blythe was a huge part of my love of the show. So sad to hear about his death… 

RIP: Christian Patterson, who was alongside the star in the Clwyd Theatr Cymru company in 1997, announced: 'Bob was a wonderful actor and a wonderful man'

RIP: Christian Patterson, who was alongside the star in the Clwyd Theatr Cymru company in 1997, announced: ‘Bob was a wonderful actor and a wonderful man’

‘Sad news he was great in high hopes… Sad news. I was a big fan of High Hopes… Such sad news to hear that Robert Blythe has passed away…

‘At least he gets to see Mrs Hepplewhite again. #RIP… The late Robert Blythe as the irrepressible Fagin – a good time to watch some episodes (recently added to iPlayer during the ‘Festival of Funny’ season)’.

Steven Meo, an associate artist with Clwyd Theatr Cymru and starred alongside Blythe in The Taming of the Shrew, said: ‘What a man. He had been ill for a while, but when you hear the news it still takes the wind out of your sails.

“He was a really easy man to make laugh, and laughter was always close to the surface with him. He was great fun, and together we were always the last to leave a party. I had some of the best years of my life working with him. 

‘High Hopes was a brilliant job, and he was a brilliant man and I am going to miss him.’

Way back when: Robert was a beloved star of High Hopes (pictured with the show's writer Boyd Clack in April 2006)

Way back when: Robert was a beloved star of High Hopes (pictured with the show’s writer Boyd Clack in April 2006)

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