Alan Coren RIP.

[Tonji]

Cricklewood's Finest Resident, Humourist, Broadcaster, Journalist, Novelist & Father of Vickey. RIP

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article2694149.ece

[TightEnd]

a very clever and talented man.

My condolences to Vicky.

[Irishdenis]

On behalf of Blonde I would like to offer our thoughts to Vicky and her family.  R.I.P

[Robert HM]

Sad news indeed. Have been smiling at his wit for so long.

[Indestructable]

Same here, sad news.
 

[Bainn]

What a loss, such a witty man.

Our thoughts to his family.

Bainn & Harmony.

[Laxie]

Very sad.  Condolences to his family and friends.  RIP

[kinboshi]

Very young as well at 69.  A sad loss to all who enjoyed his television work, but of course our thoughts go to his family and friends.

RIP.

[RED-DOG]

This probably goes for most of the rest of the nation, but I feel like I knew him personally.

I enjoyed so much of what he did. I can't begin to tell you how many hours he spent entertaining me, he will be sadly missed.

[TheJumper]

i am amazed i missed this news.

sad indeed

[kinboshi]

From the BBC

Obituary: Alan Coren
   


Wit of Alan Coren
Widely regarded as one of the wittiest men in Britain, Alan Coren, who has died aged 69, was one of BBC Radio 4's best-loved voices, while his journalism won him a legion of fans.

Born in London in 1938, the builder's son won a scholarship to Wadham College, Oxford, and went on to study in the US, at Yale and the University of California.

He originally planned to become an academic, but what he saw as the melodrama of life in the US led him into comic writing.

After selling a number of articles to long-running satirical magazine Punch, he was offered a full-time job there.

He made his name in the early 1970s with a column purporting to be by Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.

The Bulletins of Idi Amin were a huge success, although he later admitted that he was not sure he found it very funny.

Coren joined The News Quiz when it began in 1977 as a contest between the staff of Punch and its rival magazine, Private Eye.

For two decades, Coren, who went on to edit Punch from 1978 to 1987, battled with Eye counterpart Richard Ingrams to lampoon the week's topical issues.

The show's success inspired the 1990 launch of TV's Have I Got News For You.

Inspirations

In the 1990s, Coren became a regular in the revival of TV quiz Call My Bluff, while children Victoria and Giles also went on to be successful journalists in their own right.

Coren also wrote for the Times and the Daily Mail. His final Times column appeared earlier this year.

He was known for creating columns or jokes out of any situation.

"My car was nicked last week," he told one interviewer.

"Even as the police very kindly picked me up, I thought... there's a thousand words in this!

"And at four o'clock, they called to say it'd turned up two streets away. Bugger! I'd lost an article! But can I do a thing about it being taken away and brought back?"

[Karabiner]

Very sad indeed.

My sincere condolences to Vicky and the family.

[ripple11]

 Next weeks "The NewsQuiz" on radio 4 will be a tribute show to Alan.