Simon Carlyle, creator of BBC sitcom Two Doors Down, dies aged 48

Creator of Scottish BBC sitcom is remembered by colleagues for his kindness and humour

Simon Carlyle (PA)

Simon Carlyle, the creator of the BBC sitcom Two Doors Down has died, his manager has confirmed.

The Ayr-born writer was 48 years old. His death was announced by his manager, Amanda Davis, on Thursday (10 August).

“I am immensely sorry to confirm that Simon Carlyle has died at the age of 48,” Davis said in a statement shared with PA Media.

“Simon was a wonderful person and a major comedic talent. He was much respected across the industry both for the quality of his writing and for being a kind, funny, supportive and nurturing collaborator.

“Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go to his family, friends and colleagues.”

The cause of death is not currently known.

Two Doors Down revolves around the madcap antics of neighbours on a suburban street in Scotland. It began as a one-off Hogmanay special in 2013, but was commissioned as a full series in 2016.

Describing the show’s concept, Carlyle said the show was “about crazy neighbours. We’ve all got them. They seem OK, but when you scratch the surface they’re a bit nuts”.

Speaking to The Scottish Sun in 2019, Carlyle said that the show drew on some true aspects of his life. A character named Ian (played by Ben Quinn) was partly informed by Carlyle’s experience of coming out while growing up in Ayr.

One of his final posts on X (formerly known as Twitter) was a picture from the set of the forthcoming seventh series of Two Doors Down, showing a pink clapperboard, in a nod to the Barbie trend.

As well as this, Carlyle also worked on Changing Ends, an Eighties-set comedy series based on comedian Alan Carr’s youth, and the BBC sitcom Boy Meets Girl, which was the first BBC sitcom to feature transgender issues prominently.

Louise Thornton, head of commissioning at BBC Scotland, said staff were “deeply saddened” to hear the news.

“Simon was a major writing talent, loved for his work on Two Doors Down and many other series,” she said in a statement.

“Our thoughts are with Simon’s family and friends, and the cast and crew on Two Doors Down.”