The Sydney Morning Herald have reported that renowned satirist John Clarke passed away yesterday of natural causes on a hike through the Grampians National Park.
An ABC spokesman confirmed the news this morning.
The New Zealand born comedian was the brains behind a number of Australian comedy series over the years, having worked on A Current Affair, The Gillies Report and The Fast Lane to name a few.
He became famous in the 1970s for portraying the character of Fred Dagg, a New Zealand farmer.
However, he was best known for the Clarke & Dawe interviews with Bryan Dawe that aired weekly on ABC TV and mocked a range of political figures.
John wrote and starred in The Games, a political satire in the lead up to the Sydney 200 Olympics. He also appeared in the popular comedy series Kath & Kim alongside Gina Riley and Jane Turner.
Over the years he worked with a number of well-known Australian actors over the years including Geoffrey Rush, Andrew Denton and Sam Neil.
Not only did he write a number of series and films, John also published numerous books.
His first, Fred Dagg’s Year was published in 1975, other notable stories include The Howard Miracle (2003) and The 7:56 Report (2006).
Tributes have been flowing in via social media.
Opposition leader Bill Shorton took to Twitter to express his grief over John’s passing. “So sad to hear of the passing of the brilliant John Clarke. The Sharpest, driest wit on Aussie TV. 6:56 on Thursdays will never be the same,” he wrote.
John was inducted into the TV WEEK Logie Awards hall of fame in 2008.
