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Just heard that "The 2 Ronnies" and "Porridge" star Ronnie Barker has died.

Such a great loss.

And it's goodnight from him...


Barker: died yesterday at his home following a long illness.

Ronnie Barker, star of The Two Ronnies, Porridge and one of Britain's best-known comedy actors and writers, has died aged 76.

Barker, who with partner Ronnie Corbett made up one of the best-known comedy double-acts of the 1970s and 80s, died yesterday at his home following a long illness, his agent Rosalind Chatto announced this morning. He had been suffering from heart trouble.

"He died peacefully and his wife was with him. He had been nursed at home for a long time," Ms Chatto said.

Barker, who last year was honoured with a Bafta award for lifetime achievement, first made his mark on The Frost Report in 1966. He met his future partner Corbett on the show and the pair went on to form one of the most popular double-acts of the time, attracting 17m viewers at their peak.

He also appeared as the incurable villain Norman Stanley Fletcher in prison comedy Porridge, which ran for four series between 1974 and 1977, and with David Jason in the BBC series Open All Hours.

Barker was born in Bedford and was a bank manager before joining the Aylesbury Repertory Company.

In 1956 he secured his first radio appearance, then two years later appeared in Frankie Vaughan's debut film, Wonderful Things.

Barker and Corbett made their TV debut in 1971, recording 10 series of the classic Saturday night comedy between then and 1986, when he announced his retirement.

In 1999 he came out of retirement to record a special anniversary version of The Two Ronnies and three years later appeared in the HBO film, The Gathering Storm, playing Winston Churchill's butler.

Winner of the British Academy's best light entertainment performer three times during the 70s, he took the Royal Television Society's award for outstanding creative achievement in 1975.

Barker married Joy Tubb in 1957. The couple had two sons and one daughter mediaguardian

Thank you for that Madeline.

To this day, one of the funniest sketches ive seen is the "Fork Handles" quality gold. I also loved him as Fletcher in Porridge

R.I.P Ronnie

R.I.P Arkwright

Aw,that IS sad.Yeah,the fork handles was hilarious,Annie.
R.I.P Ronnie

RIP Ronnie

Ronnie Barker was great and created some absolutely classic characters. Arkwright and Fletcher are both down in comedy history. I'm another one who also loves the 'fork 'andles' sketch, it is just so clever and funny.
RIP

Porridge was one of my faveourite all time shows.

Its a real shame.

A really nice man as well.

Ronnie Barker was a great comedian he will be missed

R.I.P Ronnie I remember when I was a little girl I used to sit at the top of the stairs and listen to my mum laughing her head off at Porridge and The Two Ronnies etc. awww he was great. Someone's got to say it........''and it's good night from him''

This is very sad news! He was an excellent character actor and extremely good at comedy; comedy that is as funny today as it was in the 70’s.




DOG

on the news tonight they did a tribute to him - I was nearly greeting

can't believe that 'Porridge' was 1974-1977 though....although I was barely born, I can still remember it - must have been the reruns

bless him though - a genuinely funny man, not crass or rude in any way to be amusing

always thought the 2 Ronnies was garbage. The 4 Candles sketch has been done to death so maybe its overkill but I jut have memories of each year having a new compilation show of the same old sketches (23 years of the 2 Ronnies, 24 Years......)

Now Porridge was the business and the staple diet of UK Gold. Richard Beckinsale was brilliant alongside Barker. Could never happen today. The tabloids would be banging on about how we were glamorising a life of crime and what sort of role model is Norman Stanley Fletcher.

I think it's a terrible shame about Ronnie Barker. He was a very talented man, and always seemed such a nice man as well.