British TV legend who launched careers of Lenny Henry & Les Dennis died from sepsis aged 83 after surgery ‘went wrong’

A BRIT TV legend who launched the careers of Lenny Henry and Les Dennis died from sepsis while recovering from surgery, an inquest has heard.

Paul Stewart Laing, who was behind some of the most popular entertainment shows in the 70s, passed away aged 83 in 2023.

During his fruitful career, Laing launched the careers of many household names including Marti Caine, Les Dennis, Showaddywaddy, Lenny Henry and Victoria Wood.

Mr Laing underwent elective surgery for the removal of his gallbladder and common bile duct exploration on January 16, 2023, Exeter Coroner's Court today heard.

The op took place at Derriford Hospital, following worsening problems with gallstones for the past eight years, the inquest was told.

Mr Laing was discharged after four days and was said to have been recovering well until nine days later, when in the early hours of January 29, he awoke feeling very unwell.

An ambulance took him back to Derriford Hospital where his condition did not improve and he was diagnosed with sepsis.

It was a known risk of the procedure that he could get an infection, the court heard.

Hours later, he was taken to theatre for emergency surgery to find the origin of the sepsis in his abdomen but suffered a cardiac arrest after being anaesthetised.

Laing tragically died a short while afterwards.

The medical cause of his death was septicemia resulting from abdominal sepsis following elective surgery.

Details of the care he received were provided by Dr Aditya Kanwar, a consultant surgeon specialising in liver and bladder surgery at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust.

He described Mr Laing's presentation as having been "very unusual" and "unlucky" for someone nine days after the operation.

However, Dr Kanwar conceded it was "likely" his previous surgery had triggered the infection, which was a known risk of the procedure.

He said: "He probably did not have much reserves to fight it."

Questions were raised by his daughter, Jemima Laing, deputy leader of Plymouth City Council, about the decisions doctors made on the day he was admitted to hospital.

She also questioned the amount of antibiotics he received and the impact a massive IT outage on the day of his death had on his treatment.

And Ms Laing asked whether having had sepsis a year prior should have led to a different treatment plan to other patients - but she was told it would not.

Dr Kanwar said: "It was a very precarious situation.

"You are damned if you do something and damned if you don't.

"It was his only fighting chance at that time."

The surgeon added that due to his serious condition there was "no right or wrong in this scenario".

He told the inquest that although the major IT outage had impacted communication, there had not been a repeat of one at the hospital since.

Assistant Coroner Nicholas Lane said he did not believe the outage was "relevant to the chronology" of events or eventual outcome for Mr Laing.

Recording a conclusion of natural causes, he said: "In my view, there is no evidence to suggest that Paul's death could have been prevented through any clinical decision-making or any lack of IT outage."

Laing will be forever remembered for a successful career producing and directing programmes which became part of the fabric of British television viewing such as The Golden Shot and Celebrity Squares.

Celebrity Squares was presented by Bob Monkhouse, who regarded Laing as his “go-to” director.

Laing decided to make Kenny Everett the Voice of the Prizes on the show and the comedian subsequently credited him with reviving his career and said that it made him ”into a star”.

LEGEND GONE

The TV legend also directed London Night Out and Wednesday at Eight - a midweek version of Sunday Night at the Palladium - a variety show with a quiz game, Name that Tune, in the middle.

The show was presented by Liverpudlian comedian Tom O’Connor, and also starred Hot Gossip and made Strictly judge Arlene Philllips into a household name.

Laing also directed The Eamonn Andrews Show and What’s My Line.

Having established a connection to Andrews, he was invited to join the production team on This is Your Life.

In the 1970s, Mr Laing was the vice president of the ACTT union and was part of the National Negotiating Team - he personally called and then helped organise, and win, the first national TV strike.

He also called and helped organise, and win, the second national strike a few years later.

He moved to Plymouth from London in the late 1980s to become the head of features at Television South West (TSW).

Later on he became its director of programmes, the most senior commissioning position in the old ITV franchise system.

While at TSW, he was one of the senior executives who commissioned This Morning.

Laing was also behind the award-winning children’s animation Tube Mice which included the voice talents of George Cole and Dennis Waterman.

He also commissioned Jim Henson and his son Brian to make the series Mother Goose.

His successes continued and when TSW lost its franchise in 1992, he took early retirement, spending the remaining decades living in France, New Zealand and his family home in Mannamead.

In a previous tribute to him, his daughter Ms Laing said: "My dad loved living in Plymouth and spending time on his boat at Sutton Harbour.

"We are all very proud of his brilliant career and everything he achieved but it was his family and his partner who were most important to him.

"His four children and seven grandchildren will find it very difficult to get used to the absence of his larger-than-life presence, as will Margaret, his partner of 36 years."