BBC comedian Kelly Monteith dies aged 80 as tributes pour in

2023-01-03

BBC Comedian Kelly Monteith has passed away aged 80, The Anglophile Channel has announced.

Kelly was an American comedian, best known in the UK for his self-titled BBC comedy show, which aired from 1979 to 1984. He was among the first American comedians to be given their own BBC show.

The Anglophile Channel, a Los Angeles based production company that worked closely with Kelly, shared the sad news of his passing on social media.

Posting a statement to their Twitter, they wrote: "It is with great sadness that The Anglophile Channel announces the passing of our dearest friend and teammate, award-winning comedian/host, Kelly Monteith.

"Kelly was an integral part of TAC having co-hosted Brit Flix with Kelly, Paul and Two-Buck Chuck and Kelly’s BBC Memories. In 2015 Monteith and Paul Boland were awarded the National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Award for Best Television Anchor/Host by the Los Angeles Press Club.

"After a few successful appearances on the Des O’Connor Show, Monteith starred in his own successful comedy series, 'Kelly Monteith', which ran on the BBC for six seasons. Monteith co-wrote his titular series with Neil Shand. Monteith was the one of the first American comedians to get his own show on the BBC.

"In America, Monteith starred in two series on CBS called, The Kelly Monteith Show and The Hit Squad. As Kelly often remarked, one of the highlights of his career was performing for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth Il at the Royal Variety Performance in 1983.

"His time in England was incredibly special to Monteith. During his time there, he met his future wife Caroline. The couple have two children. Kelly will be deeply missed at The Anglophile Channel, in the world of comedy and by his family and friends alike."

Kelly's former co-star Lisa Vanderpump let tributes to the late comic, writing: "Such sadness to hear this! #RIP Kelly Monteith…we had so much fun together."

Actor Sanjeev Kohli wrote: "Sad news about Kelly Monteith. Funny, personable & (like Dave Allen) way ahead of his time. Judging from the reaction on here he was a bigger influence than he ever knew."

While comedian Bennett Arron added: "Kelly Monteith has passed away! A few years ago I said in an interview that, along with Morecambe and Wise, Tommy Cooper and my father, he was one of my favourite comedians. He heard about it, got in contact and thanked me. It's sad that many won't know of him. #RIPKellyMonteith"

Comedian Al Murray simply wrote: "Kelly Monteith! Loved him."

Fans also shared tributes to Kelly, with one posting to Twitter: "Very sad to hear that Kelly Monteith has passed away. One of the first live stand-ups to make me laugh uncontrollably. (My parents took me to see him on tour when his TV show was popular in the UK.) RIP."

While a second said: "News has reached me that Kelly Monteith has died, aged eighty. Fond memories of watching his BBC2 series as a kid, though I'm sure I didn't fully understand most of it. To quote the reviews of the day, he was 'affable,' 'quirky,' and had a 'sideways view.' RIP. #KellyMonteith"

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