Vicar Of Dibley star Gary Waldhorn has died at the age of 78.
The actor was best known for playing Councillor David Horton in the TV sitcom which was well loved by fans.
His son Josh Waldhorn broke the news and shared a poignant tribute to his dad.
He said: “My beloved father, Gary Waldhorn peacefully passed away at 6.45am on January 10 2022.
“Classically trained, it was the theatre where he truly flourished and he leaves a legacy of entertainment that saw him frequent the boards of Broadway, the West End and our living rooms on the telly!
“He leaves behind his two grandsons, Cooper and Bayley and his son Josh. We will all miss him terribly.”
Most recently, the late star appeared in a Christmas special The Vicar Of Dibley In Lockdown.
He starred alongside French, who plays Geraldine Granger, and James Fleet, who plays his on-screen son Hugo.
BBC also paid tribute to the late star following the news.
A statement from the BBC Comedy team said: “Gary was an incredibly talented actor who is fondly remembered by us for his numerous appearances on some of the nations most treasured BBC shows, and of course as Councillor David Horton in The Vicar Of Dibley.
“Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.”
His other TV shows included 1980s and 90s favourites such as Brush Strokes, Lovejoy and Gallowglass.
Waldhorn also enjoyed a long-spanning career in the theatre, including with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Other Vicar Of Dibley stars who have died include Emma Chambers, who starred as Alice Tinker, and Trevor Peacock, who played Jim Trott.
Dawn French, Robert Lindsay and Samuel West led the tributes on social media to the star.
French posted a black and white image of the actor with a broken heart emoji.
My Family star Lindsay wrote on Twitter: “And during all this madness news of dear #garywaldhorn passing.
“Such great memories of working with him and my wonderful pal Trevor Peacock at @rxtheatre.”
All Creatures Great And Small star West shared an image of the pair on stage in 1997 and hailed him a “terrific actor”.
On Twitter, West, wrote: “Sad news about Gary Waldhorn.
“He played my dad, the eponymous king, in both parts of Henry IV at the Old Vic in 1997 (here with my actual dad as the ultimate non-father, Falstaff). A lovely man and a terrific actor.”
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