‘Allo ‘Allo actor Gorden Kaye dies The late Gorden Kaye
The late Gorden Kaye

The late Gorden Kaye

Actor Gorden Kaye, who became a household name for his role in the BBC sitcom ‘Allo ‘Allo!, has died at the age of 75.

He passed away in a care home yesterday morning, the star’s former agency said.

The BAFTA-nominated English comic actor also appeared in Last of the Summer Wine, Are You Being Served?, Emmerdale and Coronation Street.

Kaye had rarely been seen onscreen following the end of the long-running show, which he returned to in 1990 after he was seriously injured in a car accident.

He was left critically ill in hospital after a plank for an advertising board was blown through his car windscreen during the Burns’ Day storm in January of that year.

‘Allo ‘Allo! co-star Vicki Michelle led the tributes to Kaye.

She wrote on Twitter: “So sad to hear news of Gorden Kaye. A brilliantly talented actor consummate professional, loved the world over.

Kaye’s last screen role was in BBC sketch show Revolver in 2004.

“Allo ‘Allo!, which made light of the Nazi occupation of France, ran on BBC One from 1982 to 1992. It was written by David Croft and Jeremy Lloyd.
As Rene, Kaye risked his neck to aid the resistance and stay out of trouble with the Nazis, with Carmen Silvera as his wife Edith, Richard Gibson as Gestapo officer Herr Flick and Officer Crabtree (Arthur Bostrom), whose mangled vowels led him to adopt the greeting: “Good moaning.”

A long-running joke had Rene hiding a painting, The Fallen Madonna With The Big Boobies, inside a garlic sausage.

Controller of BBC comedy commissioning, Shane Allen, said: “Gorden Kaye was a terrific comic actor whose signature role, Rene Artois, earned his place in the comedy hall of fame.

“He was instrumental in making ‘Allo ‘Allo! such a long running and well-loved series.

“His work lives on and thoughts are with friends and loved ones at this sad time.’

Kaye also starred in Coronation Street, playing Elsie Tanner’s nephew Bernard Butler on the soap from 1969 to 1970.

‘Allo ‘Allo! also gave rise to catchphrases such as “listen very carefully, I shall say this only once” from a sultry Resistance fighter.

Cast members included Carmen Silvera, who played Kaye’s onscreen wife, who died in 2002 at the age of 80, and Richard Marner, who played Colonel Von Strohm, who passed away in 2004.

Kaye visited Miss Silvera at her West London retirement home days before she died.

He said at the time of her death: “Carmen was a lovely lady. She was fun and had a wicked sense of humour.”

The hit television series spawned a successful stage tour from 1986, which also featured most of the sitcom’s cast.

Kaye suffered serious head injuries in a car accident during the Burns’ Day storm on 25 January 1990.

He was critically ill in hospital after a plank for an advertising board was blown through his car windscreen in west London.—DailyMail.

You Might Also Like

Comments