Archie Lyndhurst’s girlfriend pays moving tribute after actor’s death, aged 19: ‘You were my person’

Young actor was found dead after ‘a short illness’

Archie Lyndhurst’s girlfriend Nethra Tilakumara has written an emotional tribute, after the actor’s death aged 19.

The CBBC star, best-known for his performance in the popular show So Awkward, as well as for being the son of Only Fools and Horses star Nicholas Lyndhurst, was found dead after “a short illness”.

An inquest into his death is due to be opened next week. It is currently being treated as “unexplained but unsuspicious”.

Tilakumara shared a photo of Archie, who appeared to be taking a photo of her at the same time, and thanked him for making her “the happiest girl in the world”.

“There was once a boy named Archie Lyndhurst and he made me the happiest girl in the whole wide world,” she wrote on Instagram.

“A boy in a white beanie with his skateboard, swaggered through two wooden doors with an unimaginable lust for life down the hallway of Sylvia Young Theatre School.

“He sat across from me while my head was buried in a script, trying to book a job. He was there for his friend who was really nervous and auditioning too, he was always there for his friends.”

Tilakumara, who also appeared on So Awkward, said the term “boyfriend” did not do their relationship justice.

“Archie you were my Person and Best friend all in one. To spend the rest of my life laughing and going on adventures with you, was just it for me. Everything made sense with you,” she said.

“You made me laugh like no one else and you loved me in such a way that I will forever just be grateful for. Being loved by you was a bonus, but I can proudly say you are the most incredible person that I have ever met and had the pleasure of being in love with.”

She concluded: “You have my heart forever. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for making me the luckiest girl in the world. Every day with you was the best day ever, because I finally met my match. I love you. Forever and Always, Your Tiny Dancer X.”

Lyndhurst said in a statement that he and his wife Lucy are “utterly grief stricken” by the news.

“[We] respectfully request privacy,” he said.

Archie also appeared in the sitcom Bad Education, in which he played the young version of Jack Whitehall’s lead character.

He also played the young version of Whitehall at some of the comedian’s stand-up shows.

Whitehall paid tribute to Archie on social media.

“Archie Lyndhurst came in to my life nearly 10 years ago, playing the young me in a short film I’d written,” Whitehall said. “He was brilliant, so talented and funny. An utter joy to work with.”

“I have no doubt he would have had a long and illustrious career and would have continued lighting up the lives of all those who encountered him.”

CBBC paid tribute to Lyndhurst, writing: “Archie will be hugely missed by all who worked with him, and by all the fans who laughed along with Ollie in the show.

The channel also urged any young fans feeling affected by the news to contact Childline.