Barry Humphries congratulating Dermot O’Leary for bravely ‘coming out’ hailed as one of TV's greatest moments

Fans of the iconic comedian Barry Humphries, who passed away on Saturday (22 April), are remembering the time he congratulated Dermot O'Leary for 'coming out' in what was actually a hilarious mix-up. Watch the clip below:

In November 2021, Humphries sat down for a chat with the This Morning presenters when he congratulated The X Factor presenter for speaking out about his sexuality a while back.

"I've got a good memory, Dermot, a very good memory, and incidentally I want to congratulate you, seriously, on your courage," said Humphries

"Last year, when he came out and told us about his sexuality... no, no, because I think a lot of people respected you for that."

Hammond burst into laughter while O’Leary looked away and tried to explain the situation.

He replied: "Thank you, I will pass that on to the gentleman who is here from Monday to Thursday... Don't you worry!"

"No, your bravery was a marvel - and by the way, we're all in showbusiness," the iconic comedian replied.

One fan tweeted after the news of Humphries death was announced and wrote: "Never forget the time when Barry Humphries went on This Morning and had quite the encounter with Dermot O’Leary. RIP king.."

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Another Twitter user replied: "Just such a brilliant clip .. what a legend!"

A third mourner gushed: "RIP #barryhumphries you brought smiles to plenty throughout your life."

With Humphries being a comedy icon, who was best known for his character Dame Edna Everage, it seems he knew exactly what he was doing. The This Morning who came out was Phillip Schofield. In February 2020, after revealing his sexual orientation on his Instagram Stories, he spoke further on the show alongside his bestie and co-presenter Holly Willoughby.

After being introduced by Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, Willoughby sat alongside Schofield and said: "I've never been more proud of my friend than I am today."

He told Willoughby: "Everyone I've spoken to have all been so supportive and loving and caring. My entire family have grabbed us and said, 'It's OK, it's OK, we love you, we are proud of you.'

"Every person I tell, it gets a little lighter and a little lighter. At the same time I've made this decision which is essentially for me and my head.

On Saturday (22 April) a spokesperson for St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney confirmed that Humphries has passed away aged 89.

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He had recently undergone a hip replacement after suffering a fall at his apartment but was admitted to hospital following complications resulting from the surgery. His condition soon worsened.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote: "For 89 years, Barry Humphries entertained us through a galaxy of personas, from Dame Edna to Sandy Stone. But the brightest star in that galaxy was always Barry.

"A great wit, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-kind, he was both gifted and a gift. May he rest in peace."

"This is very sad," said another. "What a phenomenal talent.

"It's a cliche to say someone has funny bones, but cliches are often true, and he had some of the funniest."

"Barry Humphries was a genius," praised a third. "He was always so funny, so sly and so terrifying. A brilliant comic mind. We have lost a legend. RIP."