Jeremy Gahagan
BBC News Live reporter

We're now ending our live coverage following the death of Barry Humphries soon, thanks for joining us.

We've brought you tributes to the comedian from the worlds of entertainment and politics, as well as a selection of photos from his illustrious and colourful career.

More news can be found in our main story and you can read more about Humphries' life in our obituary.

Today's coverage was brought to you by myself, Heather Sharp, Charlene Rodrigues and Antoinette Radford.

We'll finish with this look back at some of Dame Edna's funniest moments...

Some of you have contacted us with memories of Barry Humphries.

Richard Corry in Belfast watched his show in Melbourne whilst on holiday in Australia in 2006 and found it "absolutely hilarious!"

"My wife (who hadn't wanted to go) could hardly get a breath during the second half because she was laughing so hard at Dame Edna - I was worried I might have to resuscitate her!"

"He was so sharp that I left in the knowledge that I had seen a true genius of comedy - a genuine master of his trade. Rest in Peace Barry/Edna/Sandy/Les et al".

And Judi Lesta sent us this photo, of herself under the Hollywood sign in 1978 with Dame Edna.

She says she was working as a photographer in Los Angeles at the time, Humphries invited her to a couple of his shows and "was a great person to hang out with".

Image source, Judi Lesta

As we reported earlier, Australia PM Anthony Albanese has paid tribute to Humphries as an "absolute one-of-a-kind", and we've been hearing from many others in the country too as the news of the entertainer's death sinks in.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton said Australia had "lost its finest cultural raconteur, its most brilliant satirist, and its greatest cultural comedian".

Humphries would "forever be a treasured Australian icon", he tweeted, external.

Australian comedian and TV host Rove MacManus posted a "sad farewell" to "legend" Barry Humphries, who he said "left an indelible legacy on the history of Australian comedy".

And Shaun Micallef, host of the hit Australian satirical show Mad as Hell, tweeted, external "no one made me laugh as much or for so many years".

Transport for London employees All on the Board, who post messages on information boards in London underground stations, have shared a tribute via Twitte, externalr.

"You are an absolute legend and a comedy genius," they say, noting that the "delightful diva" Dame Edna had "spectacular spectacles that could rival any of Elton John's glasses".

Image source, @allontheboard

Former UK prime minister Boris Johnson, who edited the Spectator magazine for which Barry Humphries wrote, said the comedian was "one of the greatest ever Australians".

Johnson tweeted: "RIP Barry Humphries - one of the greatest ever Australians.

He added that he was "a comic genius who used his exuberant alter egos, Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson, to say the otherwise unsayable."

"Also an infallibly brilliant Spectator contributor. What a loss."

Although globally celebrated, Barry Humphries' colourful career as a comedian, poet and artist was not without controversy.

Humphries created the character Barry McKenzie, the boorish, sexist, arrogant Australian, who appeared in a comic strip he wrote for the magazine, Private Eye.

There was much criticism of this character in his home country of Australia which, for a time, banned the sale of a book of the strips.

Humphries would receive similar criticism for his character of the lecherous, hard drinking Sir Les Patterson.

In 2019, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival dropped Barry Humphries' name from their prestigious Barry Award, following contentious remarks about transgender people.

In comments he later said had been misinterpreted, he drew criticism for describing being transgender as "a fashion" and also claimed to have been speaking in character with a reference to gender-reassignment surgery as "self-mutilation".

Former talk show host Sir Michael Parkinson has paid an affectionate tribute to Humphries.

Parkinson said: "I have lost a dear friend of many years.

"Barry was a cultured, highly intelligent, fascinating man who just happened to create, in Dame Edna Everage, one of the everlasting comedy characters of all time as well as one of my favourite guests on my talk show.

"In a time when the word is bandied around far too easily, we have truly lost a genius.

"I shall miss him and the dame in equal measure."

In the course of his comedy career, Barry Humphries met with several members of the Royal Family.

In 2019 he appeared with the then Prince Charles and Camilla during the Royal Variety show at the London Palladium.

His cheeky comedic timing can be seen in a clip he shared, external of that encounter, where as Dame Edna, he ended up in the Royal Box alongside the couple.

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, Getty Images

We've also heard from our colleagues at BBC Radio 2. Barry Humphries presented six series for the station, with the last one in October 2022 celebrating 100 years of the BBC.

Commissioning editor Laura Busson says: "Everyone at Radio 2 is saddened to hear of the passing of Barry Humphries.

"His six Radio 2 series of Barry Humphries’ Forgotten Music Masterpieces were hugely popular with our audience and we will publish some of these programmes on BBC Sounds today for listeners to enjoy, in tribute to Barry.”

You can find some of those programmes here.

British comedian Jimmy Carr, who is on tour in Australia, tweeted:, external "A bit bittersweet doing gigs in Australia this evening, Barry Humphries has passed and no one will ever be as good at crowd work again."

Image source, EPA

Hello and welcome if you're just joining our coverage of the reaction to the death of Australian entertainer Barry Humphries.

Here's the latest:

• Humphries, best known for his comic character Dame Edna Everage, died aged 89 on Saturday evening Australian time
• He'd been in hospital in Sydney after suffering complications following hip surgery in March following a fall in February

• A family statement said he was completely himself until the very end, never losing his "brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit"
• Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was a “great wit, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-kind"
• Comedians, actors and others have also paid tribute, with Rory Bremner describing him as "lightning quick" and "savagely funny", while actor and singer Jason Donovan said Australia had "lost one of its greatest"
• You can read his obituary here and there's a look back at his life in pictures here

Australian comedian Adam Hills remembered Humphries as "nothing but an utter gentleman to me, and occasionally a Dame".

He remembered him as one of the greatest comedians, and noted that; "appropriately, he took his final bow on a Saturday night."

Journalist and broadcaster Andrew Neil remembered Humphries as "funny, hugely literate, fiercely smart".

Two weeks before his passing, Neil had visited him in his Sydney hospital.

He tweeted: "So sad to learn Barry Humphries has passed away.

"When I visited him in his Sydney Hospital two weeks ago he was ailing from several health problems. But his spirits and wit were as acute as ever.

"We laughed away as the stories poured out."

He added: "I count myself lucky and privileged I got to see him one more time. A comic genius the likes of which we will never see again."

In a purple wig, garish outfits and outrageous spectacles, Barry Humphries was instantly recognisable as Dame Edna Everage.

She was one of a series of characters Humphries played during a career which took him from his native Australia, to the UK and the US.

Here are a selection of photos from his amazing career.

Find more here.

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, Getty Images

League Of Gentlemen stars Mark Gatiss and Reece Shearsmith have also been remembering the talents of Humphries.

Image source, Rob Brydon

Actor and comedian Rob Brydon has paid tribute to Humphries, external on Twitter:

"RIP Barry Humphries. A true great who inspired me immeasurably.

"It was a delight to call him my friend. I've been in Australia and was with him only 3 days ago.

"He was, as ever, making me laugh. His talent shone until the very end. My love goes out to Lizzie and all the family."

Phil Mercer
BBC News Sydney

Image source, Getty Images

In 1955, Barry Humphries introduced Mrs Norman Everage, the housewife from Moonee Ponds, a suburb in Melbourne, in a university production.

It was the first iteration of the irrepressible character that would define his career.

Humphries said his creation was supposed to last only a week. It blossomed into Dame Edna, his gaudy, sharp-tongued comic alter ego who would leave audiences in stitches in Australia and beyond for decades.

Tributes in Australia have remembered Humphries' thirst for public pranks.

In one infamous episode he apparently boarded an aircraft and secretly emptied a can of Russian Salad into a sick bag. He then pretended to vomit, and then - much to the disgust of his fellow passengers - began to eat the salad.

Humphries was made an Officer of the Order of Australia, one of the country’s highest civic honours, in 1982.

Later in his career, he was criticised for referring to gender affirmation surgery as "self-mutilation" and described transgender identity as a “fashion".

But his fans in Australia are mourning the loss of a comedy legend.

The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Twitter that Humphries was a “ great wit, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-kind, he was both gifted and a gift”.

Trubutes to Barry Humphries are coming thick and fast - here are a few.

British comedian Rory Bremner tweeted, external that Humphries' passing means the loss of an "all-time great".

"Lightning quick, subversive, mischievous, widely read, deeply knowledgeable about art, music & literature & savagely funny.

"Dame Edna arguably the greatest comic persona ever. Les Patterson too. True genius." he writes.

Comedian Ricky Gervais tweeted , externalsimply: "Farewell, Barry Humphries, you Comedy genius."

And comedian, Dara Ó Briain, also tweeted: "RIP Barry Humphries, one of the absolute funniest people ever. A huge life, lived long and well. He will be missed."

We've also heard from Australian actor Jason Donovan who said the country had "lost one of its greatest".

Humphries was "quite simply an entertaining genius", he posted on Twitter. "The characters he created brought laughter to millions... My thoughts are with family on this sad day!", he said.

Image source, Press Association

Here's a selection of comments Humphries made over the years.

On himself...

"I was born with a priceless gift, the ability to laugh at the misfortunes of others."

"I can laugh at myself, I think it's one of the precious things Dame Nature gave me ... I think if you can't laugh at yourself you might be missing the joke of the century."

On political correctness...

"In the early 60s, I felt Edna had run out of steam. But no, she proved indestructible - and a very useful mouthpiece. She can say things, for instance, about political correctness that I couldn't possibly express."

On audience reaction..."I love making an audience gasp. I don't crave the sound of applause. I crave the sound of sharply indrawn breath. That's a good sound."

On Australia..."You mustn't judge Australia by the Australians" (said as Dame Edna)

"To live in Australia permanently is rather like going to a party and dancing all night with one's mother."

On being in his 80s...

"It is a good innings and I don't know what I attribute it to. But I don't do exercise and I think that's the answer."

Image source, Getty Images

John Barry Humphries was born in the Melbourne suburb of Camberwell on 17 February 1934.

The son of a successful builder, he began inventing fictional characters from an early age, spending hours in his back garden dressing up in various costumes.

His parents sent him to Melbourne Grammar School, an institution that turned out more than its fair share of notable Australian luminaries, boasting leading politicians, artists, soldiers and sportsmen among its alumni.

Humphries excelled at art and English, and largely ignored the rest of the school curriculum.

He went on to study law, philosophy and fine arts at Melbourne University and became famous for a series of publicly performed practical jokes influenced by his interest in the Dada movement.

After leaving university, he joined the Melbourne Theatre Company where he wrote and performed songs and sketches.

It was in the theatre company's tour bus that, according to his autobiography, Humphries first came up with the idea of a suburban housewife called Mrs Norm Everage, the character making her first stage appearance in a sketch Humphries performed in 1955.

Read more: The man behind Dame Edna