Trivia

He is often quoted as saying that although Monty Python was brilliant it marked the start of a decline in comedy.

He is the father of three daughters: Kathy Sykes (born in 1952), Susan Stronge (born in 1953) and Julie Sykes (born in 1958), and one son, David Kurt Sykes (born in 1959).

His treatment of Hattie Jacques in their last few years working together was so bad that her sons banned him from attending her funeral and memorial service.

He was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1986 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to drama.

He was enormously successful on 70s TV, teamed with Hattie Jacques playing his heavyset but timid sister in a number of settings, particularly with the series, Sykes (1972).

He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2005 Queen's New Year Honours List for his services to drama.

In 2002 he suffered a stroke and underwent heart bypass surgery.

His comedy heroes were Laurel and Hardy.

He stopped submitting scripts to the BBC in the 1980s when he was informed that he was too old. His television roles dried up after a badly-received ITV sitcom set in a golf club, "The Nineteenth Hole", in 1989.

He played caretakers in two different movies: The Others (2001) and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005).

He blamed at least part of his hearing loss on the Allied shelling of Caen.

He admitted he could not understand why he was criticized for continuing to perform in South Africa during the apartheid era.

The ninth Harry Potter film series cast member to die.

Gave up smoking cigarettes in 1966 and cigars in 1998.

He is the grandfather of Matt Stronge.

He was a supporter of Ian Smith's regime in Rhodesia, and continued to perform in South Africa despite criticism during the apartheid era.

A memorial service was held for him at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London on 28 January 2013.

As a performer, he had a flat Lancashire voice that was capable of great sarcasm, but that he regarded in his down moments - which were many and profound - as plain dull.

Sykes struggled with hearing loss for most of his life, as well as suffering gradual eye failure which left him almost deaf and blind by the 1990s.

He was a fan of Ayn Rand.

His manager was Norma Farnes, and his personal assistant Janet Spearman.

Was a lifelong supporter of the Conservative Party.

He received The Bernard Delfont Award For Outstanding Contribution To Show Business Award, at The Variety Club Show Business Awards in 2002.

His first stage name was Rick Allen.