Beyond The Joke has heard that comedian Jack Cowley has died. He previously worked under the name of Jack Russell. He was 53.

Tributes have been coming in on Facebook from fellow comedians and friends.

Andre Vincent posted: "Have just read that the lovely John Cowley (Jack Russell) has left us. That is sad. RIP fella xx"

Susan Murray wrote: "Jack Russell was such an excellent comic with a sweet hippy soul. There were no other comics that could do brilliant jokes about Buddhism in front of wankered stag dos in big clubs and rip it. It was like they just tuned into him and his hilarious but spiritual world. Ever supportive of other comics, especially the new or nervous ones, he was like many, a troubled man and I truly hope he’s at peace at last. You’ve gone too soon John ( his real name) you feckin eejit. See you in the next world x"

Al Pitcher wrote: "May he RIP , He was very nice to me when I started and I loved his comedy"

Phil Nichol said: "Oh no. That is very sad news"

Jarred Christmas added: "I really bloody liked Jack. Top bloke. Taught me that finger and thumb routine. His mum was my kindergarten teacher in Singapore and we worked out he was helping out at the kindergarten on his gap year when I was 5. This is very sad news. Gutted. RIP Jack Russell."

Lynn Ferguson wrote: "Such a lovely bloke . Remembering his warning of the pitfalls of ashtanga yoga still makes me laugh. So sad. The world right now could be doing with keeping its lovely blokes."

Cowley/Russell moved around over the years, gigging in the UK and all over the world. He was born in Cardiff to Irish parents and then lived in London. For a while he lived on a Dutch barge on the Thames near Shepperton with his dog Sadie before moving to Keynsham in the West Country.

He did a Drama & History Degree at Brunel University and worked regularly with Tim Vine in the mid-1990s.

He was brought up as a Catholic and used to say "so much guilt, so little time to feel bad".

Listen to Cowley talking about life on his barge here (hat tip to Comedy Cellar for link).

Watch a clip of him onstage below.