Once in every lifetime, Comes a love like this - RIP Rik Mayall

[leelive]

RIP Rik Mayall

You were an absolute comic genius.

[DazzyD]

I've always been a big Bottom fan (ooo err!) and after a live show I got to meet the Rik and Ade (or Sexy Ade as he likes to be called!!) and they were fantastic guys. I've been let down by meeting my comedy heroes before (Bob Davies springs to mind - Google him - he's very very famous!!) but that night was not a let down.

I've liked Rik in everything he's ever done apart from the New Statesman (I didn't get in to that - didn't seem to be enough childish humour to satisfy me!). But Rik from the Young Ones, Ritchie Richard from Bottom, Lord Flashheart from Blackadder Goes Forth and, probably the most childish of all, Drop Dead Fred. The term "comedy genius" gets used an awful lot but, in my mind, Rik was that. Even in his older years he had the sense of humour of a young schoolboy.

As a lover of the finest British (and Irish) comedy, will I miss Rik? Of course I will. I've never felt this such a loss since the wonderfully talented Dermot Morgan died.

R.I.P., Rik.

[BeerFunk]

I'm never one to go overboard when a celebrity dies, but in this case I did feel genuine sadness. Why? Well, he has made me laugh more times than I could possibly count, with his manic comedy style. Not just The Young Ones and Bottom, but also The New Statesman, which I always thought was a bit underrated.

But beyond that, he is a genuinely nice guy. I went to see him at the Playhouse in Edinburgh a number of years ago, when he had taken The New Statesman on the road. I'd planned to wait round the back for a photo or an autograph (something I rarely do), but got bored of waiting, and kind of thought... he's just going to whisk away in a taxi anyway! Turns out he didn't, and came out to meet the fans who'd waited shortly after I left. A mate of mine got some photos taken with him, and said he was out there for a good half hour with them, joking around, signing things etc. It might not sound much, but remember this is late at night after a show, and I've no doubt it wasn't a one-off. Always regret not waiting on that night!

Then there are the reports of his deterioration in health over the last 10-15 years, which may or may not be true. Apparently his memory has been going, up to the point where he can't remember lines, or even entire sections of scripts from his previous shows.

I suppose the saddest thing of all, for anyone, is leaving a family behind who must think the world of him. So yes, I was saddened by his passing.

Once in every life time? Na, I don't think there could ever be another Rik Mayall :beer1: