The Vicar Of Dibley actor Trevor Peacock has died at the age of 89, his family have confirmed.
The actor, who played Jim Trott in the comedy series, suffered from dementia in his later life.
The degenerative condition contributed to his death on Sunday morning, with his family confirming he passed away fom a ‘dementia related illness’.
Peacock first appeared opposite Dawn French in the BBC sitcom in its debut episode in 1994 and continued to appear in every episode until 2015.
The actor, who is survived by his four children, won over fans with his saucy remarks and his catchphrase of ‘no no no no…’ before everything he says.
Vicar of Dibley star Trevor Peacock who played Jim Trott in hit BBC comedy dies aged 89
He starred in the BBC comedy series alongside Dawn French (centre) as The Reverend Geraldine Granger and James Fleet as Hugo Horton (right)
A statement on behalf of his family said: ‘Trevor Peacock, actor, writer and song-writer, died aged 89 on the morning of March 8th from a dementia-related illness.’
Peacock appeared as the gruff character Jim opposite the show’s star Dawn French in 26 of the show’s episodes.
The show originally aired from 1994 to 1998, but the series returned for various specials before officially concluding in 2007. It briefly headed back to screens for various shorts in aid of Comic Relief.
Peacock was absent from the show’s Christmas special in December 2020.
The actor suffered from dementia in the later years of his life, which his family say contributed to his death
His family shared details of his Alzheimer’s diagnosis four years ago, saying that he no longer remembered appearing in the much-loved show.
He also had no recollection of his acclaimed acting career, which spanned 50 years, and was baffled when he was recognised by fans in his later years.
His daughter Sally said at the time: ‘As a character actor, he has made so many people laugh for such a long time. Sadly, now he doesn’t understand why people want to come up to him to talk to him or thank him for his work.’
Peacock’s career has spanned acting on stage, film, radio and TV and songwriting.
Born in Edmonton, north London, in 1931 and started his TV career in the 1960s in the ITV Television Playhouse, Comedy Playhouse and The Wednesday Play.
He later played Rouault in Madame Bovary and Quilp in The Old Curiosity Shop and made appearances in EastEnders, Jonathan Creek and sitcom My Family.
In 2007 he appeared in the Hollywood film Fred Claus, opposite Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti, playing the father of Father Christmas.
He also appeared in Dustin Hoffman’s directorial debut Quartet, opposite Dame Maggie Smith and Sir Billy Connolly.
Peacock was also an accomplished songwriter and wrote a number of hit songs including the 1960s track Mrs Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter, which was recorded by Herman’s Hermits and Mystery Girl, recorded by Jess Conrad, as well as the lyrics for a number of hits by The Vernons Girls.
He was also an accomplished Shakesperean actor, starring in a number off BBC productions including Titus Andronicus, Twelfth Night and Henry V.
He started experiencing health problems in 2003 when he had a mini-stroke while performing in Hobson’s Choice at the Exchange Theatre, Manchester.
In 2009, he was diagnosed with vascular dementia – the death of brain cells brought on by a stroke – and in 2013 he was told he had Alzheimer’s disease, in which abnormal proteins cause brain cells to die, leading to gradual mental decline.
Tributes began flooding in for the actor after his agent confirmed the news of his death to the Press Association news agency.
TV channel Gold tweeted: ‘We are all saddened to learn that Trevor Peacock, who played Jim Trott so brilliantly in The Vicar of Dibley has passed away at the age of 89. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.’
A tweet from the BBC Press Office said, alongside a picture of the actor: ‘We’re saddened to hear of the death of actor Trevor Peacock.’
Fans also responded to the sad news of his death with many taking to social media to exclaim ‘No! No, no, no’ at his passing.
One social media user called the actor ‘comedy gold’ while another paid tribute to ‘one of the funniest character actors ever.’
Peacock is the second prominent cast member from the Vicar of Dibley to pass away in recent years.
Emma Chambers, who played Alice Tinker in the BBC comedy series for 13 years, died of natural causes, thought to be a heart attack in February 2018.