Ben Keaton, Father Ted and Emmerdale actor, dies aged 69
Tributes have poured in for the beloved Irish actor.
Ben Keaton, famous for his role in the comedy series Father Ted and appearances in Emmerdale, has died aged 69.
The Irish actor was best known as Father Austin Purcell in the beloved Channel 4 series Father Ted before going on to star in multiple soaps and sitcoms including Emmerdale and Casualty.
He passed away "very suddenly" at Lincoln County Hospital on Friday last week, leaving his family and friends in shock.
His death notice reads: "Ben will be forever greatly missed, loved and fondly remembered by his ex-wife Polly, son Waldo and daughter Daisy, brothers Des and Thom, sister Jeanette.
"Best known for his roles in TV shows including Father Ted, Emmerdale, Casualty, The Bill, films including East is East etc. and Theatre performances in Animal Crackers, Harvey, Cyrano de Bergerac, Hay Fever, etc, a founder member of the improv group South Of The River, and a director of the Creative Academy, and more. Funeral arrangements to be announced later."
Posting to Facebook, his ex-wife Polly said: "So incredibly sorry to say Ben Keaton died last night. It was very sudden and we are all in shock.
"We had separated several years ago but we had half a lifetime together and infuriated and made each other cry with laughter in equal measure. He was a great dad to Waldo and Daisy and the finest Groucho and Cyrano I have ever seen."
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The Dublin-born actor had an acting career spanning decades, first starting out in theatre before moving into comedy, television and film. His first screen role was in the ITV police drama The Bill in 1989, but it was his 1995 role of Father Austin Purcell in Father Ted that launched his career.
In 2019, Radio Times named Father Ted as the second-greatest British sitcom of all time, beaten only by Fawlty Towers.
During his career, Keaton received a number of awards including the 1986 Perrier Comedy Award and two Best Actor accolades from the Manchester Evening News. He also received a nomination for the prestigious Laurence Olivier Awards for his solo theatre show Intimate Memoirs of an Irish Taxidermist.
Authors
Phoebe Kowhai Barnes is a Freelance Writer who covers pop culture and entertainment programmes for the Radio Times. She previously worked as the Senior Assistant Editor at The Tab where she managed its local department. She obtained a BA (Hons) in English Literature from University of Nottingham.
