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Paul Ritter's Iconic 'S**t On It' Line Was Inspired By A True Story

Paul Ritter's Iconic 'S**t On It' Line Was Inspired By A True Story

The much-loved actor, 54, died after suffering from a brain tumour

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers

Paul Ritter found a special place in people's hearts as the loveable if slightly bizarre patriarch in Friday Night Dinner.

As the crotchety Martin Goodman, the actor quickly became a fans' favourite, known for his love of squirrel, crimble crumble and his precious tinned meat.

One line that sticks out among dozens is his often-quoted catchphrase, 's**t on it'.

But where did it come from?

Well, the show's creator, Robert Popper, took the line directly from his dad, who Martin's character was based on.

Speaking previously about the inspiration, the writer said in The Guardian: "When I was developing the show, I really wanted to show a family under the microscope, so Friday Night Dinner is full of Goodman 'familyisms'.

"My dad says 's**t on it' if he stubs his toe, bangs his head, bites his tongue or runs out of ketchup.

Channel 4

"It's always 's**t on it'. I've never met anyone else on Earth who's ever uttered this beguiling, beautiful phrase.

"It belongs completely to my family. So before you think of asking, the answer is no, you can't have it."

Speaking during a Q&A with the cast and creator, Ritter said it also had a root in the Germanic-Jewish vernacular.

When asked whether he had heard the phrase before, the 54-year-old actor said: "Well, I knew that it has a Germanic sort of Yiddish derivation from 'scheiße drauf... scheiße drauf', which means, literally, 's**t on it'."

Ritter sadly died on Monday (5 April) after suffering from a brain tumour, his publicist announced today (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."

Channel 4

They continued: "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."

Since news of his death was announced, fans of the series have been sharing their favourite Martin Goodman moments.

Writing on Twitter, one fan said: "Nobody did loveable idiocy quite like Paul Ritter in Friday Night Dinner. May he rest in peace."

A second added: "Heartbreaking news... Rest in Peace Paul Ritter. I hope you're supplied with an endless supply of lovely Squirrel up there."

While another viewer wrote: "RIP Paul Ritter. Thank you for many, many nights of laughing until I turned red."

Featured Image Credit: Channel 4

Topics: Entertainment, Funny, UK Entertainment