British comedian Rik Mayall dies.

British actor Rik Mayall, known to many of us as Rick from The Young Ones, has died aged 56.

“We are deeply saddened to announce the death of Rik Mayall who passed away this morning,” his manager announced in the UK overnight.

His death is not thought to be suspicious.

Mayall was a cult British comedian appearing as Rick in The Young Ones from 1982 to 1984.

He was also Lord Flashheart in Blackadder, Alan B’Stard in The New Statesman, and was Fred in Drop Dead Fred.

In 1998, he cheated death surviving a near-fatal quad bike accident. He suffered a fractured skull and two brain haemorrhages.

The accident left him with epilepsy for which he took medication. He was on life support for five days and doctors were close to turning it off before he suddenly showed signs of life.

Mayall once joked: “I beat Jesus Christ,” he said.

“He was dead for three days at Easter.”

“When I crashed it was the day before Good Friday, Crap Thursday, and I was technically dead until Easter Monday – that’s five days.”

“Jesus was nailed up on Friday and came to on Easter Day. I beat him 5-3.”

Rik Mayall recovered and amazingly returned to work.

Mayall leaves behind his wife, Barbara Robbin and three children, Rosie, Sidney and Bonnie.

As the world mourns him here are four of his best comedic moments

1. As Rick in The Young Ones

2. As Edmund’s best man Lord Flashheart in 1989’s Blackadder Goes Forth

3. As Fred in the 1991 cult fantasy film Drop Dead Fred

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWY-36sOTeg

4. And ‘Richie’ in Bottom

Tributes from around the world have been pouring in including British celebrity Chris Evans who retweeted “RIP Rik Mayall. I’m off to hit the gasman with a frying pan. It’s the least I can do.”