Irish comedian and ex-Never Mind The Buzzcocks team captain Sean Hughes has sadly passed away at the age of 51.
His most recent tweet, published on October 8, read simply: "In hospital".
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It's believed that he was admitted for liver cirrhosis and suffered cardiac arrest this morning.
During his lengthy comedy career, Hughes became the youngest comic ever to receive a prestigious Perrier Award in 1990.
He won the prize with his show, A One Night Stand With Sean Hughes.
After that, he went on to receive critical acclaim for his Channel 4 sitcom, Sean's Show.
He was also a team captain on the BBC 2 comedy quiz show Never Mind the Buzzcocks, from 1996 to 2002, alongside Phill Jupitus and Mark Lamarr.
Credit: PA
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Sean's former promoter, Richard Bucknall paid tribute.
He said: "He was a pioneering, ground-breaking comedian who changed comedy with that live show."
Fellow comedians have also come forward in huge numbers to pay heartfelt tributes.
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Jack Dee said: "Very sad to hear about Sean Hughes. Started on the circuit with him back in the day. RIP."
Sarah Millican added: "So sad to hear of Sean Hughes death. He was the first comic I ever saw live. A very funny man. Awful news."
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Sean was perhaps best known for his role as a team captain in the early years of BBC2 music comedy panel show Never Mind The Buzzcocks, where he appeared alongside Mark Lamarr, Phil Jupitus and an ever-changing line-up of celebrity guests.
To pay tribute him, here are some of his best moments from the show.
2. Detachable penis
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3. "I'm the beekeeper"
4. Louis Armstrong or Bruce Forsyth?
5. "Badman"
Sean leaves behind his mum and two brothers. He never married or had kids, saying he wasn't cut out for that sort of life.
In a 2014 interview with the Irish Times, Hughes joked about his life of 'extreme' hedonism.
"I have been blessed with decent health, even though I have pushed my body to extreme hedonistic limits.
"I once overdosed on amphetamines: I was rushed to hospital and made to work the night shift."
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