Sean Lock death: Comedian was ‘still joking’ in ‘his last few days’, says Bill Bailey

Bailey kept in close contact with the comedian after discovering he had cancer

Sean Lock was cracking jokes in his final days, says comedian Bill Bailey

The comic and regular comedy show panelist died of cancer on Wednesday (18 August), aged 58, leading to an outpouring of love from his fans and fellow comedians. Channel 4 has now revealed it will honour Lock with two dedicated broadcasts on Thursday night (19 August).

While his illness wasn’t known to the public, his close friends Bailey and Harry Hill kept in touch with Lock, and the pair shared their tributes in The Telegraph.

Bailey stated: “Even in his last few days, we were still having a laugh, still joking, still coming up with ideas.”

He added: “We had great conversations. I brought in my guitar and sang him his favourite Johnny Cash songs.”

Hill, in his tribute, recalled one funny interaction that occurred when Lock called him from a hospice.

“I asked him what it was like, and he said: ‘It’s OK actually and the sex is amazing,’” Hill wrote.

The comedian added: “He struggled with [the illness] – he went through all the same emotions anyone in that position would experience. But he was stoical about it.

“Because he was so bright, he read up on all the latest treatments. He knew much more about that side of medicine than I ever did.”

A statement from Lock’s agent Off The Kerb Productions said: “It is with great sadness that we have to announce the death of Sean Lock. He died at home from cancer, surrounded by his family.

Sean Lock was joking ‘in his last few days’, says Bill Bailey (Eamonn McCormack/Getty Images)

“Sean was one of Britain’s finest comedians, his boundless creativity, lightning wit and the absurdist brilliance of his work, marked him out as a unique voice in British comedy.

“Sean was also a cherished husband and father to three children. Sean will be sorely missed by all that knew him. We kindly request that the privacy of his family and children is respected at this difficult time.”

Lock was best known for being the team captain on Channel 4 series 8 Out of 10 Cats, presented by Jimmy Carr, for 10 years from 2005. He was replaced by Rob Beckett in 2016.

Lock was also team captain alongside Jon Richardson on spin-off 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.

Richardson said in a tweet that he “idolised” Lock long before he came to work in comedy himself.

In a statement, comic Lee Mack, a close friend of Lock, hailed him as “a true original both in comedy and life”.