Archive: Nancy Banks-Smith on death of Dermot Morgan

The death of a comic is often tragic - but we don't have to believe it if we don't want to.

Dermot Morgan was under serious stress when he died

Father Ted star Frank Kelly, speaking about Dermot Morgan, said "He barely passed the medical tests to be available to make the last series".

Some of you were wondering why I didn't take part in the documentary on Father Ted last night. I am utterly proud of that show and I love it still (and Mrs Doyle). I'll watch it any time it's on and I laugh out loud at it - in fact I did just that last night and can I say that the Hairy Babies episode, as chosen by viewers, is probably my favourite too.

Anyhow, I have spoken at length over the years about the show and really didn't think I had anything more to add to that - there's piles of archive footage out there of me telling stories about it and the behind the scenes laughs and so on.

On top of which I have such happy memories of Ted that to have gone down the West without Dermot Morgan and (producer) Geoffrey Perkins would have been too sad. And I didn't think any documentary could be 'definitive' without them anyhow. So, all of the above (and the small matter of me filming another Channel 4 series in Manchester anyhow) led to me not taking part.

Ardal: actors queued up to replace Ted

Comedian Ardal O'Hanlon has revealed that there were actors lining up to become Father Ted in the aftermath of Dermot Morgan's sudden death.