Renowned BBC children’s television icon passes away unexpectedly, leaving family heartbroken.
A beloved children's TV personality from the BBC has sadly passed away following a heart attack on a bridge in London. Tony Husband, aged 73, suffered a collapse while en route to a gathering hosted by Private Eye magazine.
Renowned children’s TV personality and cartoonist, Tony Husband, has tragically passed away following a heart attack on a bridge.
At 73 years old, Husband, known for his contributions to Private Eye, was en route to the magazine’s event in London when he suffered the incident on Westminster Bridge. Despite a swift response from emergency services, they were unable to revive him.
A native of Blackpool, Tony enjoyed a prosperous career, including notable appearances on the BBC’s children’s variety programme, Hangar 17, during the 1990s, which featured acts like Take That and East 17. He also lent his talents to ITV’s satirical children’s show from the 90s, Round The Bend!. His work was further showcased in publications such as The Times, Punch, Playboy, and The Sunday Express.
His son, Paul, conveyed the sombre news on Facebook, expressing, “I’m at a loss for words. He meant everything to me. It’s a strange twist of fate that he weathered 30 years of Private Eye gatherings, only to miss this one.”
Paul also turned to Twitter to share the sorrowful update, penning, “With a heavy heart, I must inform of my father’s passing.”
Private Eye later paid tribute to Tony on the platform, stating: “RIP cartoonist Tony Husband – a prolific, witty, and imaginative contributor to Private Eye since 1985.”
Among those offering their condolences to the talented artist was author and former Pointless star Richard Osman. He remarked: “It’s deeply saddening to learn of the passing of the brilliant cartoonist Tony Husband, whose work has brought me so much laughter over the years. His humour was infused with remarkable wit and warmth.”
Fellow cartoonist Nick Newman conveyed his grief at Tony’s loss, saying: “The news of the great Tony Husband’s passing is almost too much to bear. The creator of Yobs and the mastermind behind thousands of outstanding cartoons for Private Eye and other publications, he will be greatly missed by both his friends and devoted readers.”
During an interview with ITV News earlier this year, Tony shared that he had contributed a cartoon to every issue of Private Eye for nearly four decades. He remarked, “The way life is these days, it’s akin to a cartoon. We have characters like Boris Johnson, who seems like a creation from Spitting Image. But indeed, cartoons are more necessary than ever in our times.”
