Ronnie Corbett, Comedian Beloved in Britain, Dies at 85

Correction appended, April 1

British entertainer Ronnie Corbett died has died. He was 85, and his death was confirmed Thursday morning by his publicist and reported by the BCC. The entertainer, beloved in the U.K., was best known for his BBC comedy sketch show The Two Ronnies, in which he appeared alongside comedian Ronnie Barker, who died in 2005.

Corbett had been ill for some time, and is survived by his wife Anne Hart and their two daughters, actors Sophia and Emma Corbett.

“Ronnie Corbett CBE, one of the nation’s best-loved entertainers, passed away this morning, surrounded by his loving family” his publicist told the BBC. “They have asked that their privacy is respected at this very sad time.”

Celebrities like Russell Crowe and Ricky Gervais paid tribute to the late star on Twitter.

Correction: The original version of this story misstated the name of Ronnie Corbett’s co-star on The Two Ronnies and the year he died. His name was Ronnie Barker and he died in 2005.