Australian entertainer Barry Humphries has died at the age of 89, a spokesman for the hospital where he was being treated has confirmed.
During a seven-decade career, the stage and screen veteran entertained generations with satirical characters including Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson.
Humphries died on Saturday evening, according to David Faktor, a spokesman for St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney.
He told the PA news agency: “I can confirm Barry Humphries passed away this evening Sydney time, around 7pm on Saturday evening.”
Humphries had been readmitted to St Vincent’s after suffering complications following hip surgery last month.
A family statement issued to the Sydney Morning Herald thanked fans and hospital staff for their “support and good wishes”.
Humphries became a staple of the British comedy circuit after moving from Australia to London in 1959 and appearing in West End shows such as Maggie May and Oliver!
He was among the leading members of the British comedy scene, alongside Dudley Moore, Alan Bennett and Spike Milligan.
As well as Dame Edna Everage, he also appeared as the lecherous Sir Les Patterson and Sandy Stone, an elderly, childless man living in the suburbs.
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