Friday Night Dinner's Tom Rosenthal Shares Tribute To Paul Ritter

Tom Rosenthal has shared his tribute to Friday Night Dinner co-star Paul Ritter, following the tragic news of the older actor's death this week.

Fifty-four-year-old Ritter passed away yesterday (5 April) after suffering from a brain tumour, his representative confirmed.

Writing on Twitter, Rosenthal thanked fans for their kind words and shared his condolences with Ritter's family.

He said: "Incredibly sad and thoughts are with Polly, Frank and Noah. x

"Thank you for all your messages, they're a testament to how great an actor Paul was and how many lives he touched. He was the most devastatingly intelligent and conscientious person with an unmatched crossword acumen and an incredible memory.

"If he met you once I swear he knew your name for life. Luckily for us he turned such a wonderful mind to bringing life to Martin Goodman for whom he would do whatever it took to make us laugh.

"Anyone who's seen Friday Night Dinner knows the amount of s**t we put him through and I never once heard him complain.

"I'll be forever thankful for working with someone who was so supportive and who taught me so much about professionalism and humility in acting."

Mr Ritter's tragic passing was confirmed in a statement from his agent on 6 April.

As reported by The Guardian, his agent said: "It is with great sadness we can confirm that Paul Ritter passed away last night.

"He died peacefully at home with his wife Polly and sons Frank and Noah by his side. He was 54 and had been suffering from a brain tumour."

They added: "Paul was an exceptionally talented actor playing an enormous variety of roles on stage and screen with extraordinary skill.

"He was fiercely intelligent, kind and very funny. We will miss him greatly."

Channel 4

Following his death, fans of the series took to social media to share their favourite Martin Goodman moments.

Writing on Twitter, one fan said: "Heartbreaking news... Rest in Peace Paul Ritter.

"I hope you're supplied with an endless supply of lovely Squirrel up there."

Another echoed these sentiments, writing: "RIP Paul Ritter - loved him as Martin in Friday Night Dinner."

"An affectionate 's*** on it' to this," put a third.

While another added: "Nobody did loveable idiocy quite like Paul Ritter in Friday Night Dinner. May he rest in peace."

Topics: Entertainment, Actor, UK Entertainment, Twitter, Channel 4

Dominic Smithers

Dominic graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History. Like you, Dom has often questioned how much use a second language has been. Well, after stints working at the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express, along with never setting foot in France, he realised the answer is surprisingly little. But I guess, c'est la vie. Contact us at [email protected]

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