Comedian and actor Tony Slattery has died.

His partner broke the news and said that Slattery, who was 65, had a heart attack.

Slattery, one of the Cambridge Footlights troupe that won the Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Fringe in 1981, which also included Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie and Emma Thompson, was best known for his quickfire improvisations on Whose Line Is It Anyway?

A statement on behalf of his partner, Mark Hutchinson said: 'It is with great sadness we must announce actor and comedian Tony Slattery, aged 65, has passed away today, Tuesday morning, following a heart attack on Sunday evening.  

A graduate and former president of Cambridge Footlights, where he was a contemporary with Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie and Emma Thompson, Tony was known and loved for his appearances on comedy improvisation show Whose Line Is It Anyway? as well as many other TV series and films. He had recently been touring a comedy show in England and launched a podcast, Tony Slattery’s Rambling Club, in October.

One of five siblings, Tony had previously lost a sister to cancer and one of his brothers to a heart attack only last year.

Interviewer and producer of his latest shows, Erica Lear, said today, “I will miss my mischievous partner in crime.  They say you should never meet your heroes, but I met mine and he became my best friend”.

Tony is survived by his longtime partner, actor Mark Michael Hutchinson, and Molly, a ferocious cat.

Tony Slattery, born November 9, 1959, died January 14, 2025.'

A 2020 BBC documentary, Horizon - What's The Matter With Tony Slattery? charted his life and health struggles. By the turn of the millennium, he had had a breakdown and had vanished from public life. The film followed Tony and his partner of 35 years, Mark Hutchinson, as they visited the UK’s leading experts on mood disorders and addiction in the hope of getting some clarity on the problems that have dogged his life.

As well as following Tony in his search for a clearer diagnosis, the programme explored developments in the science of understanding and treating complex mood disorders

Tony Slattery said at the time: “‘Whatever the cause might be, I know that I am not unique in trying to cope with mental ill health and my main hope is that viewers will find the programme informative and helpful. That after all is the point of doing it.”

Tributes quickly came in on social media after his death was announced from fans and colleagues, underlining how much Slattery was loved and respected. Actor Rufus Jones posted on X: "The manic sadness of Tony Slattery’s life, followed by his eager desire to talk about it and repair, was hard to watch but I suspect a valuable contribution. But man, he really was a comedy Prince in his pomp."