We have some very sad news to report. As announced by his team on his Patreon, Tony Slattery has passed away following a heart attack, aged just 65.

Tony was at one stage one of the most ubiquitous figures on British television, having risen to fame as the breakout star of Whose Line Is It Anyway?. Panel show infamy soon followed, including multiple guest slots in the early days of Have I Got News For You, a stint as a team captain on the TV version of Just A Minute and hosting Channel 4’s The Music Game. His acting roles included the movies The Crying Game and Peter’s Friends, his own sitcom Just A Gigolo and of course Red Dwarf. One of the rare performers to have played two different characters on the show, he started off as the voice of the android actor in Kryten, before returning as Rimmer’s nemesis dispensing machine in Only The Good… He’ll be remembered as one of the most talented improvisers the world of comedy has ever seen.

Sadly, he’ll also be remembered for his well-documented fall from these huge heights. He suffered terribly with depression and substance addiction, eventually being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Those who attended Dimension Jump in 2018 can’t have failed to spot that these issues were still evident at that point. There was a very clear sense that he wasn’t being supported in the way he both needed and deserved, and that those who were supposed to be looking after him were doing nothing of the sort. Things seemed to be improving in recent years, with Tony’s public appearances becoming both more common and more coherent. It’s an absolute tragedy – if not a total surprise – that this brilliant genius has left us so soon, and that he’s done so without ever getting the opportunity to bounce all the way back.

It’s abundantly clear from the tributes being left online in the last hour or so that Tony was incredibly well loved, with fans and fellow comedians alike sharing their stories. If nothing else, the incongruity of his current Twitter banner would have amused him, I think. Rest in peace, Tony.

11 comments on “Tony Slattery RIP

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  • Very sad news. He was pretty big in the days of Whose Line, and it always amused me to see him crop up in Red Dwarf.

  • A great talent.  Beyond Red Dwarf. He was there in the early work of Fry & Laurie on TV, later taking over This Is David Lander from Fry as This is David Harper. Most recently I rewatched That’s Love a rare sitcom he’s great popping up recuring in one series of that. Thankful I got to meet him thanks to Dimension Jump thanks to his role in Red Dwarf.  Thoughts with his Partner and all who knew him on this sad news day. Rest in Peace Tony.

  • I discovered Whose Line Is It Anyway? through repeats in the late 00’s, and was rather hooked for a while. In the middle series especially, Tony Slattery brought a chaotic energy that some of the other regulars, while incredibly funny in their own way, could not replicate. Later I learned that his seeming mania was partly related to various demons he was battling, but he certainly seemed a well-meaning soul, and was a humorous gent.

  • Yes, very sad news. I wasn’t able to meet him at DJ 2018, which was a great shame as he’d been such a presence on my tellybox 25, 30 years earlier. RIP Tony.

  • Incredibly sad news, especially as it really seemed like he was on the rise again – I’d been hoping (largely in vain) for a proper triumphant comeback one day, and it seemed like it was even a possibility again. I’m glad that his final few months seemed to be much better for him than the decades preceding them, though. RIP.

  • Awful news. Tony always struck me as hugely likeable and warm, as well as being very talented and bright and funny of course. He had that rare thing of being able to laugh at his own jokes in a way that wasn’t remotely obnoxious but rather thoroughly endearing. RIP

  • Awful news. Tony always struck me as hugely likeable and warm, as well as being very talented and bright and funny of course. He had that rare thing of being able to laugh at his own jokes in a way that wasn’t remotely obnoxious but rather thoroughly endearing. RIP

    That’s it. You could tell he knew when he was being clever or funny, but it didn’t come across as smug.

  • A small but brilliant part of the Red Dwarf universe, he never failed to make me laugh whenever he popped up, and he will be greatly missed by those who admired and loved him.

    As it doesn’t appear to be available on iPlayer at the moment, here’s a YouTube link for the outstanding Horizon documentary What’s the Matter with Tony Slattery?

  • Tony’s partner Mark has started a crowdfunding campaign to help cover some of the funeral costs here. It’s lovely to see they’ve exceeded the target by almost 200%, but I still think it’d be nice for everyone who can spare a few coppers to help give him a lovely send-off.

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