The Young Ones and Spitting Image star, born Tony De Meur, died ‘peacefully’ while his partner was out of the house walking their dog
Ronnie Golden has died aged 78.
The Young Ones and Spitting Image star, born Tony De Meur, died “peacefully” while his partner was out of the house walking their dog.
Grace Carley, Ronnie’s girlfriend, shared the sad news on Monday and wrote: “Without any fuss or bother, he simply slipped away yesterday afternoon while I was walking the dog.
“Never even fell off his perch, so to speak. I know it will be an enormous shock, as it was to me, but I am consoled by his complete lack of pain or suffering.”
Later, under a tribute post to Ronnie, Grace wrote further about their last day together. “As his long time partner, can I just say that we should all wish for a death like his,” she said. “We had a lovely lunch in the garden – lamb chops and confit chickpeas from an Ottolengi recipe- and a cheeky glass of Rose – which he didn’t even finish. I went out to walk the dog and came back exactly 40 minutes later to find him just gone. The NHS kicked in within minutes and worked themselves tirelessly to bring him back, but he was gone.”
Fans and friends have shared their tributes to Ronnie, also called Tony by Pals. “Every year I would see him at the Comedians’ Christmas Party my eyes would always light up…he was such a brilliant raconteur and he loved his music with a rare and incandescent passion,” musical comic Steve Gribbin fondly recalled. “Ronnie Golden was one of the first acts I ever saw on the nascent Alternative Comedy Scene in the early 80s.
“Skint Video played a gig with him in 1984 at Banana Cabaret at The Bedford Arms in 1984, when he had just appeared on Boom Boom Out Go The Lights on TV, and he was kindness itself. He once taught me the “proper” jazz chords to Cry Me A River. Last time I saw him was in late May at the Birthday Party of Paul Ricketts, and Ronnie was in his element, chewing gum and floating round the party chatting to all and sundry. He was a very funny man, and a lovely human being. Mu heart goes out to Grace and all his family. RIP Tony, mate.”
Ronnie appeared alongside Rik Mayall and Ade Edmonson in the second episode of 80s sitcom The Young Ones. He had played Buddy Holly, who was seen hanging upside down in a parachute. He also starred in satirical TV show Spitting Image and joined new-wave group The Fabulous Poodles in 1975. Following their split, he became a successful comedian and adopted his Ronnie Golden name.
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