Scottish actor and comedian Stanley Baxter has died at the age of 99.
Born in Glasgow in 1926, he was one of the biggest stars on British television for several decades.
Baxter starred in several successful series between the 1960s and 1980s, and was also known for his acting roles and as a pantomime regular.
His friend and biographer Brian Beacom said Baxter died on Thursday at Denville Hall, a residence for entertainment figures in north London where he had lived since late 2023.
After beginning his career in Scottish theaters in the 1940s, Baxter found fame in music halls.
This led to him being cast in the sketch comedy show On The Bright Side, where he first performed what became one of his most popular sketches: the parody language show Parliamo Glasgow.
The Stanley Baxter Show began on the BBC in 1963 and became a huge hit, before moving to London Weekend Television (LWT) in 1973 with The Stanley Baxter Picture Show.
He played most of the roles in the film and television parodies of the show, winning several Bafta awards.
This was followed in 1981 by The Stanley Baxter Series, before returning to the BBC later in the decade.
She also appeared on the children’s show Mr Majeika before retiring from television in 1990, but continued to appear as a panto lady in Scotland for several more years.
Baxter always considered himself a character actor rather than a comedian and was a reluctant celebrity, giving few interviews and refusing to appear on talk shows.
At the age of 94, he confirmed that he had always been gay, but said he had initially hidden the truth to avoid arrest in the years before decriminalization.
