Ant & Dec have led tributes to comic Brendan Healy, who has passed away from cancer at the age of 59.
Healy was a familiar face on screen in the '70s and '80s, appearing on children's show Razzmatazz and later starring in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and Spender with Jimmy Nail.
Off-screen, Healy was a well-known comic and musician who performed around the North East, launching annual 'Geordie' pantomimes at Newcastle's Tyne Theatre and appearing in the Sunday for Sammy fundraising concerts held in memory of local actor Sammy Johnson.
A Facebook post revealed that Healy had died last night (February 18) following a five-year illness.
Following the news, a number of stars paid tribute to the actor on Twitter:
