Actor Derek Fowlds has tragically died at the age of 82, his family has confirmed.
The star of Yes Minister and Heartbeat had a long and distinguished career spanning more than 50 decades.
The London-born actor played Principal Private Secretary Bernard Woolley in Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister and Oscar Blaketon in Heartbeat.
RIP Derek. Yes Minister is possibly the finest piece of political satire that we’ve seen on television.
Before that, he found fame as Mr Derek on The Basil Brush Show.
He most recently starred as Frank Patterson in Doctors in 2017.
The actor died at Royal United Hospitals Bath in the early hours of Friday morning (January 17), after suffering from pneumonia that led to heart failure caused by sepsis.
He was surrounded by his family when he died and is survived by sons Jamie and Jeremy.
Mr Fowlds had been married to Wendy Tory, and later Blue Peter presenter and dancer Lesley Judd.
His son Jeremy Fowlds, followed his dad into acting and has starred in New Tricks.
I don’t know what to say, I’m so desperately sad. 😢😢🦊such times we had, rest in peace Mr Derek, my best friend forever #DerekFowlds #BasilBrushshow pic.twitter.com/iQqI8v1Plm
— Basil Brush (@realbasilbrush) January 17, 2020
RIP Derek Fowlds. pic.twitter.com/3I7luyRKkQ
— Rita Panahi (@RitaPanahi) January 17, 2020
RIP #MrDerek
Yes Minister is possibly the finest piece of political satire that we’ve seen on Television. It’s still relevant to this day and holds up bit comically and satirically in a way that many other shows could only aspire to. #derekfowlds #basilbrush #yesminister pic.twitter.com/KqGmqb9tNV
— Stephen Mellor | Photography (@sp_mellor) January 17, 2020
Helen Bennett, his personal assistant and friend of many years, told the PA news agency: “He was the most beloved man to everybody who ever met him, he never had a bad word to say about anybody and he was so well respected, adored by everyone.
“You couldn’t have met a nicer person ever, he was just a wonderful man and I will miss him terribly.”
Tributes have been pouring in for the actor, with one saying: “RIP #MrDerek. Yes Minister is possibly the finest piece of political satire that we’ve seen on television.
“It’s still relevant to this day and holds up bit comically and satirically in a way that many other shows could only aspire to. #derekfowlds #basilbrush #yesminister.”
Derek released his autobiography A Part Worth Playing in 2015.
RIP Derek.
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