Ade Edmondson, Alan Rickman and Dawn French were among the celebrities who mourned Rik Mayall at a private funeral today (19.06.14).
Friends and family of the late ‘Young Ones’ star – who tragically died at the age of 56 on June 9 – gathered at St George’s Church in Dittisham, Devon, to pay their respects to the comedian.
Ade, Rik’s comedy partner and ‘Bottom’ co-star, was joined at the funeral by his wife Jennifer Saunders, as well as a host of other names including Ben Elton, Nigel Planer and Ruby Wax.
Rik’s coffin, which was adorned in red roses, was carried into the rural church by many of his friends, including Ade.
Speaking before the funeral, comedienne Dawn told the Independent newspaper: "He was honestly one of the funniest people ever. A breathtakingly funny and beautiful guy – [it’s] a real tragic loss."
Rik – who shot to fame in ‘The Young Ones’ and ‘Bottom’ – died following an "acute cardiac event" at his home in Barnes, south-west London, following his morning run.
A post-mortem conducted last week proved inconclusive and his official cause of death is yet to be determined.
The star’s widow Barbara Robbins thanked fans for their "swell of love" in the days following Rik’s tragic death earlier this week.
She said: "Knowing the swell of love you all share with us we would like to let you, the fans, know that we will be having a private family funeral for Rik, as I am sure you will understand.
"We will be burying him at 2pm on Thursday, June 19, if you would like to join us in thoughts and prayer at this time.
"Thank you again for all your love and support to all our family, it brings great strength."
Stars mourn Rik Mayall at funeral
