Red Dwarf cast and crew pay tribute after beloved co-creator Rob Grant dies suddenly, aged 70

Tributes have been paid to Red Dwarf co-creator Rob Grant, after it was announced that he had died suddenly on Wednesday 25 February 2026 at the age of 70.

Grant created the hit sci-fi comedy show alongside Doug Naylor, first arriving on screens in 1988. The last episode, a feature-length special, aired in 2020, although the story of the show has continued in other formats.

The series starred Craig Charles as Lister, a technician awoken after being in suspended animation for 3 million years to find that he was the last living human, and was onboard the mining spacecraft Red Dwarf along with a hologram, a cat-like lifeform, a sanitation droid and the ship's computer.

Alongside Charles, the other central roles in the series were played by Chris Barrie, Danny John-Jules, Robert Llewellyn and Norman Lovett.

A novel spin-off from the series, written by Grant and Andrew Marshall, was announced just earlier this month, titled Red Dwarf: Titan. It was set for release on 16 July 2026, although it is unclear at this time if that will still be the case.

News of Grant's death was first shared on Red Dwarf fansite Ganymede & Titan, alongside a statement from his family.

The statement read: "With much sadness, we have to announce that Rob Grant, co-creator of Red Dwarf, passed away suddenly yesterday afternoon (Wednesday 25th February 2026), a great loss to his family, friends and comedy fans across the world."

Among those to have paid tribute to Grant is Naylor, who worked with Grant on various radio and TV shows including Spitting Image.

They dissolved their partnership in the 1990s, and were subsequently involved in a legal dispute over the rights to Red Dwarf. That was resolved in 2023.

Naylor wrote in a post on Instagram: "I’m deeply saddened to hear of Rob Grant’s passing yesterday. It’s hard to take in the loss of someone who was such a significant part of my life for so many years.

"I first met Rob when we were nine years old. We went to Chetham's School of Music and later Liverpool University. We grew up making each other laugh long before there was an audience, and eventually found ourselves building something that neither of us could have imagined when we were schoolboys.

"Spitting Image and later Red Dwarf went on to become two of the most loved comedy series in Britain. I'll always treasure those years of writing together and laughing so hard it hurt.

"Creative partnerships are intense, driven by passion, conviction and strong personalities. But at the heart of ours was a shared love of comedy and a desire to make people laugh and we did, on a scale neither of us could have predicted.

"My thoughts are with Rob's wife Kath, and all his family and friends. I will always be grateful for my time working with Rob and what we created together. RIP Smeghead! X #reddwarf"

Meanwhile, Lister star Charles also paid tribute to Grant, writing in a post on X: "Earlier today I was informed of the passing of @realrobgrant. I am in total shock. He was one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. A visionary.

"My heart goes out to his family and friends. The impact he and Doug had on the course of my life is immeasurable RIP ROB."

Llewellyn, who played Kryten, wrote on Threads: "Very sad news about Rob Grant, who, along with Doug Naylor created the long running comedy series Red Dwarf. He passed away on Wednesday, Rob was a very funny man with a talent for stinging reposts."

A post from The Official Red Dwarf Fan Club on X said: "We are devastated to learn of Rob’s passing and send love to his family and friends. He will always live on through his amazing creativity, storytelling and humour. Travel well, Sir."

Speaking with Radio Times recently, Grant revealed that he had been hoping his new novel, Titan, could one day also be adapted for the screen, although he acknowledged the roles would need to be recast, even if the original stars could also appear in "quite decent roles".

Watch Grant talking to Radio Times below: