Comedy legend Sir Ken Dodd dies, aged 90

Sir Ken Dodd, widely regarded as one of the greatest comedians of all time, has died aged 90.

Dodd, famous for his marathon-length stand-up shows and for creating the Diddymen, passed away in the very same home he grew up in, in Liverpool suburb Knotty Ash.

Just on Friday, Dodd had married his partner of 40 years, Anne Jones, and had recently returned from a six-week hospital stint, where he was being treated for a chest infection.

“To my mind, he was one of the last music hall greats,” Dodd’s publicist Robert Holmes said. 

“He passed away in the home that he was born in over 90 years ago. He’s never lived anywhere else. It’s absolutely amazing.”

Dodd was born the son of a coal merchant in 1927, and became a comedian in 1954, starting out playing to live audiences in music halls.

He then broke out into TV and radio, becoming one of the biggest, most beloved names in the game.

Dodd was also a talented musician. His single ‘Tears’ was the third highest-selling song of the entire 1960s, only beaten out by two Beatles singles.

In the same decade, he got his name into the Guinness Book of World Records, for telling a whopping 1,500 jokes in the space of three hours.

Tributes have been pouring in for Dodd all morning, from both inside and outside of the comedy world. Comedian Gary Delaney made reference to legendary length of Dodd’s stand-up shows in his message:

And the likes of Dara O Briain, David Walliams and Limmy also paid tribute on Twitter.

Sir Ken Dodd’s greatest jokes of all time:

My Dad knew I was going to be a comedian. When I was a baby he said, “Is this a joke?”

I have kleptomania. But when it gets bad, I take something for it.

Just read a book about Stockholm Syndrome, it started off badly but by the end I really liked it.

Did you hear about the shrimp that went to the prawn’s cocktail party? He pulled a mussel.

The trouble with Freud is that he never played the Glasgow Empire on a Saturday night after Rangers and Celtic had both lost.

I thought it would be a good idea to go into politics, maybe I am a little old… but you know… I’d love to be Chancellor of the Exchequer – That way I’ll be united with my money!

(Images: Rex)