'BLESS HIM'
Friday Night Dinner fans in tears over previously unseen footage of late star Paul Ritter during brain tumour battle
FRIDAY Night Dinner fans have broken down in tears watching tongiht's tribute show as Paul Ritter appeared on screen.
Actor Paul, who played family patriarch Martin in the Channel 4 sitcom, tragically passed away from a brain tumour at the age of 54 on April 6.
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The tribute show, which aired on Channel 4 on Friday, showed heartbreaking unseen footage of Paul during his brain tumour battle.
Explaining that he was "very unwell" during the filming, the show was the last time that the star appeared on screen before his passing.
Fans noted the differences in Paul's appearance as he was shown on screen - as he looked different due to extensive treatment for his tumour.
"Bless him he looked so ill when this was filmed," one man started the discussion. "So so sad to see him like that. Bless him."
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"Tearing up watching Paul. Seeing him look how he does in it knowing he was very very sick just. I can't," a second agreed.
"Honestly sat sobbing hearing him talking about how much he loved Friday Night Dinner," another said of his appearance on screen.
"Paul Ritter was advised not to film the Friday Night Dinner documentary because of how ill he was yet he still went ahead and did it," a fifth wrote. "What a legend."
"Seeing Paul Ritter like that has absolutely broken my heart. What a great man," a woman concluded.
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"Gutted seeing how ill Paul Ritter looks on the Friday night dinner documentary," one concluded.
The show also detailed some of character Martin's best bits - with creator Robert Popper, noting his "incredible acting".
"He's just so fantastic, he gets everything spot on and more," Robert continued as he likened the actor to his own father.
The throwback episode aired the final interview given by Paul before his passing, discussing his time acting in the shows 37 iconic episodes.
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As it began, Tamsin played tribute to her on-screen husband as she said the cast "miss him terribly" and dubbed him "a lovely human being".
"We all miss him terribly, an incredible actor, a true friend and a lovely human being," she said of her co-star.
"Sadly at the time of making the documentary Paul was pretty unwell, and to be honest - and don't tell the producers this - but I did try to persuade him not to do the interview.
"But it is testament to Paul's dignity and courage and complete lack of vanity that he wanted to participate in the documentary and to really celebrate this little world that' hes been part of...
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"I know Paul would also want us to sit back and laugh and enjoy this celebration of the Friday Night Dinner universe, and say as we do in his memory, shalom."
Earlier this week, the show's creator confirmed that Friday Night Dinner had officially ended - with no new episodes in the pipeline.
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Creator Robert Popper has said he has no plans to continue the show without Paul Ritter, and felt the show had reached its natural end anyway.
He : “I was thinking this will be the end, because I didn't want to do a series where they had kids and babies and Jim would have seven dogs, also, like, the world's weirdest dog that you couldn't find seven of."
Paul Ritter dead aged 54 - Friday Night Dinner star dies of brain tumour
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