Friday Night Dinner actor Paul Ritter has died at the age of 54 from a brain tumour.

The sad news was confirmed today through a statement from his agent to The Guardian newspaper.

He passed away at home with his family by his side, his agent said.

Ritter won the heart of audiences for his portrayal of Martin, a father of two, in Channel 4 sitcom. Friday Night Dinner.

His extensive career saw him appear in a number of television shows and Hollywood films including Harry Potter.

The Daily Telegraph once described Ritter as "an actor who is surely destined for greatness. His Pistol conveyed perfectly the shock of a man who reluctantly had left behind the rowdy cheer of Eastcheap, and found himself in middle age contemplating the melancholy of a medieval autumn."

Away from television and film, Ritter could be found on the stage. From 2005 to 2006, he played Otis Gardiner in the original Royal National Theatre production of Helen Edmundson's Coram Boy, for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award.

He was also nominated for a Tony Award in 2009 for his role in The Norman Conquests.

From 2011 to 2020, Ritter starred as Martin Goodman in the Channel 4 comedy series, Friday Night Dinner.

Ritter died on April 5, 2021, at his home with his family by his side.