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Keeping Up Appearances actor Clive Swift dies aged 82

Keeping Up Appearances actor Clive Swift dies aged 82

The BBC sitcom star was known to many viewers as Hyacinth Bucket's long-suffering husband Richard

Clive Swift, Getty

Susanna Lazarus

Published: Saturday, 2 February 2019 at 9:53 am

Actor Clive Swift has passed away, his agent has confirmed in a statement:

“After a short illness, Clive died peacefully this morning surrounded by his family.”

The 82-year-old was best known for his role in BBC sitcom Keeping Up Appearances which saw him play Richard, the long-suffering husband of Patricia Routledge's social climber Hyacinth Bucket (or "bouquet", as she pronounced it).

The comedy ran for six series and saw Richard put up with endless ham-fisted attempts on the part of his wife to impress at various parties and social engagements.

Swift also enjoyed roles in Peak Practice, Born and Bred and The Old Guys, in which he starred opposite the late Roger Lloyd Pack, with his final on-screen role coming in 2017 in an episode of Midsomer Murders

But Doctor Who fans will know him best for two roles he played in the sci-fi series, first opposite Colin Baker in 1985's Revelation of the Daleks, and more recently as a Titanic employee in 2007 David Tennant episode Voyage of the Damned – starring alongside Bernard Cribbins and Geoffrey Palmer.

Clive Swift, Bernard Cribbins, Geoffrey Palmer, Getty

Before his screen work, Swift was a theatre actor, doing a ten-year spell at the RSC in his early career. He also appeared in films Excalibur and Frenzy.

The comedy world has been paying tribute to the actor since news of his passing broke:

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Authors

Susanna LazarusAssociate Editor, RadioTimes.com

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