Rik Mayall: 'I'll never forget how he helped me through epilepsy'

Nico Richardson said he would 'never forget' the support

(Rex Features)

The son of director Peter Richardson has spoken about how Rik Mayall helped him through epilepsy after the pair were diagnosed with the illness within a year of each other.

Nico Richardson, 24, was told he had the condition in 1997, a year before the comedian, and they helped each other through their treatment.

Mr Richardson’s older brother was “happily chatting” to Mayall just half an hour before he died aged 56 on Monday.

He described The Young Ones star as “the same legend” offstage and on, saying he would “never forget” his support.

“When my old man was writing words with him, whether my father liked it or not he would put the pencil down and have a talk about with me about what was what with our condition and how our social life was going and how work was going,” Mr Richardson told the Telegraph.

“With his condition it was probably harder to be on the ball but he was still all the way there.”

The cause of Mayall’s death has not yet been confirmed but police said it was not suspicious.

His wife, Barbara Robbin, said: “Maybe he had a fit, maybe it was his heart. We just don't know.”

The couple had three children.

In 1998, Mayall was left in a coma for several days after a serious quad bike accident.

He recovered, but was left with epilepsy – for which he took daily medication.

His youngest daughter, Bonnie, 19, paid tribute to her ”wonderful, generous, foul–mouthed and hysterical father“.

Mayall’s sudden death caused an outpouring of grief from fans and friends in the entertainment industry.

David Walliams was one of many comedians to hail the actor as one of his idols.