Sykes "died peacefully this morning after a short illness," Norma Farnes, his manager, told the
Though obscure to most Americans, Sykes was beloved in Britain for his work in the sitcoms Dress Rehearsal and Sykes and A in the 1950s and 1960s. Sykes also starred in the movies Heavens Above! (1963), Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines (1965) and The Spy With A Cold Nose (1966). Sykes, who went nearly deaf in his 30s and nearly blind as well in the 90s, was less active in recent years, but had a small role as the caretaker Frank Bryce in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in 2005.
On Twitter, fans of the comedian expressed their grief and admiration. "Oh no! Eric Sykes gone? An adorable, brilliant, modest, hilarious, innovative and irreplaceable comic master. Farewell, dear, dear man," tweeted Stephen Fry to his 4.5 million followers.
Some other Twitter tributes:
Below is one of Sykes' most popular videos on YouTube, which features outtakes from his 1970s show Sykes.