Sean Hughes dead: Irish comedian and Never Mind the Buzzcocks captain dies aged 51

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Groundbreaking Irish stand-up and Never Mind the Buzzcocks panellist Sean Hughes has died aged 51.

The comedian, born in London and raised in Dublin, first performed at the Comedy Store in 1987. He went on to win the main prize at the prestigious Perrier Comedy Awards – now the Edinburgh Comedy Awards – in 1990 for A One Night Stand With Sean Hughes. At 24, Hughes was the youngest comedian ever to win the accolade.

In the show, Hughes played a lovelorn Morrissey fan alone in his bedsit, waiting by the telephone for a call. It was one of the first narrative-driven comedy shows, a model now favoured by a great many modern comics.

However, the Irishman is most famous for his television work as a team captain on BBC 2's Never Mind the Buzzcocks, where, between 1996 and 2002, he starred alongside Phill Jupitus and Mark Lamarr.

A particularly memorable moment on the comedy music quiz saw former Spice Girl Mel B berate Hughes during the intros round for his lack of commitment to the performance, giggling: "Could you a bit sassy as well. Go!"

His 1992 meta-sitcom Sean's Show aired on Channel 4 and was a hit with critics, and he also performed in cult Irish film The Commitments.

Hughes had been unwell for a while, with his most recent tweet, posted on 8 October, simply reading: "In hospital." The Evening Standard reports that he was admitted to Whittington Hospital with liver cirrhosis, passing away during the night after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Fellow comedian Carl Donnelly broke the news on Facebook, posting: "[Sean's] been ill for a while but has mostly kept it quiet. He had been in hospital on and off these last few weeks but passed away at home last night. He's been a good mate and someone who has helped me develop as a comedian for ten years so all that needs to be said right now is that I'll miss him."

Hughes' former promoter Richard Bucknall also paid tribute to the star, telling comedy website Beyond the Joke: "He was a pioneering, groundbreaking comedian who changed comedy with that live show."

Tributes have poured in from across the comedy world. Jason Manford tweeted: "Very sad to hear about Sean Hughes. A brilliant comic and a lovely bloke. RIP". While Al Murray added: "Terribly sad news about Sean Hughes."

"So sad to hear of Sean Hughes death," Sarah Millican wrote. "He was the first comic I ever saw live. A very funny man. Awful news." Author Irvine Welsh tweeted: "Sad to hear about Sean Hughes. Was lucky to enjoy his company on a few occasions over the years. A witty, gracious, kind, and gentle soul."

Nica Burns, director and producer of the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, stated: "He was a huge talent, a really good comic, instinctive timing from day one and a very good writer. He will be missed."

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