Gossip: comedy genius is dead at 60

Griff Rhys Jones yesterday led the tributes to his long-standing comedy partner Mel Smith, who  died after suffering a heart attack.

Smith, his friend of 35 years, was a ‘brilliant actor’ he said, and his death at the age of 60 had left  ‘everyone in a state of shock’.

Smith died at his home in St John’s Wood, North London, where he lived with his wife of 25 years, Pam.

Paramedics were alerted shortly after 9am on Friday but London Ambulance Service said he was ‘dead at the scene’. Friends said that Smith had suffered a fall at home earlier in the week ‘and had been unwell since’.

Others said he been beset by ill health for months and had been ‘in and out of hospital’.

Rhys Jones said yesterday: ‘I still can’t believe this has happened. To everybody who ever met him, Mel was a force for life. He had a relish for it that seemed utterly inexhaustible.

‘He inspired love and utter loyalty and he gave it in return. I will look back on the days working with him as some of the funniest times that I have ever spent. We probably enjoyed ourselves far too much, but we had a rollercoaster of a ride along the way.

'Terrific business. Fantastic fun, making shows. Huge parties and crazy times. And Mel was always ready to be supportive. Nobody could have been easier to work with.’