CBBC star Archie Lyndhurst has died aged 19

Archie Lyndhurst was best known for his role on CBBC show So Awkward (Photo: Matt Squire/BBC)Archie Lyndhurst was best known for his role on CBBC show So Awkward (Photo: Matt Squire/BBC)
Archie Lyndhurst was best known for his role on CBBC show So Awkward (Photo: Matt Squire/BBC)

Archie Lyndhurst, CBBC actor and son of Only Fools and Horses actor, Nicholas Lyndhurst, has died at the age of 19.

A statement from the CBBC said that Lyndhurst passed away after a short illness.

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Nicholas Lynhurst said in a statement, “Lucy and I are utterly grief stricken and respectfully request privacy.”

Who was Archie Lyndhurst?

Born in 2000, Archie Lyndhurst was an actor who began his career at the Sylvia Young Theatre School at the age of 10. In 2013, Nicholas Lyndhurst told the BBC that his son, Archie, had inherited the acting gene.

He was best known for playing a character called Ollie Coulton in the CBBC comedy So Awkward. Lyndhurst starred in the show since it began, back in 2015.

Lyndhurst also worked with Jack Whitehall on a number of projects, including Little Crackers (2011), Tonight at the London Palladium (2014) and Bad Education (2014).

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Outside of acting, Lyndhurst created his own clothing line called Fated to Pretend, which was inspired by his love of skateboarding, and evolved into an interest in streetwear.

What did Jack Whitehall say?

A post shared by Jack Whitehall (@jackwhitehall) on Oct 1, 2020 at 10:44am PDT

Jack Whitehall posted a picture of the two of them together on Instagram, writing, “I write this with an extremely heavy heart. Archie Lyndhurst came into my life nearly ten years ago, playing the young me in a short film I’d written.

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“He was brilliant, so talented and funny. An utter joy to work with. So much so that it proved to be the start of a wonderful partnership, we did a skit together at the London Palladium, he played me again in a sketch for my arena tour and special, and when we needed an actor to play the young Alfie Wickers in Bad Education it was the easiest piece of casting we ever had to do.

“Every time I worked with Archie he was the same - passionate, generous and pitch perfect, he was loved by everyone on set. I have no doubt that he would have had a long and illustrious career and would have continued lighting up the lives of all those who encountered him. The enthusiastic and talented boy I met all those years ago had grown into an equally charming young man, during lockdown he would take shopping and groceries to my parents house for them when they couldn’t leave the house, it’s a testament to what a wonderful and kind person he was.

“The world has been robbed of a truly special soul. He will never be forgotten, and I feel utterly devastated that he is gone, but I also feel blessed to have met him. Goodbye Archie.”

Lucy Lyndhurst, Archie’s mother, replied to Whitehall’s post, writing, “Dearest Jack. Thank you for all the amazing opportunities you put Archie’s way and the kindness and friendship you have always given him over the years.

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“He loved every moment of every job and relished in the fantastic scripts you wrote. But it went further than that like you said. He loved all of you dearly, as do we. And a lifelong friendship has ensued. I love the picture up the tree. I remember him being asked to move along a bit to make room and he called out “ooo, I’ve snagged me fishnets now!” Then not wanting to take off the false beard after the palladium as he wanted to look like you.

“We shall love him forever and a day and are the luckiest parents to have had the most wonderful and unique son who has brought us nothing but joy in our lives.”

Online tributes

Lyndhurst’s So Awkward co-stars issued their own tributes to the late actor online.

Writing on Instagram, Samuel Small, who plays Rob Edwards in the series, wrote, “Love you from now until infinity. Rest in power bro.”

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Sophia Dall’aglio, who plays Martha Fitzgerald, also wrote on Instagram, “You were the light in the room, even on a bad day, and brought all of us together. It’s true, things won’t be the same without you, but while you were here you did nothing but your best to make people happy.”

Fans of the CBBC show So Awkward that Lyndhurst starred in tweeted their condolences after the news of his passing broke.

One user wrote, “Rest in peace Archie Lyndhurst (Ollie Coulton from So Awkward). I grew up watching So Awkward and just to type this breaks me. You will be missed by many and forever in our hearts.”

Another tweeted, “I just seen this on Instagram and I’m still trying to comprehend it. You were one of my favourite actors on So Awkward that I was fond of watching as I grew up. Rest in peace Archie Lyndhurst. We love you.”

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“Rest in peace Archie Lyndhurst, genuinely loved you so much on So Awkward, one of my favourite shows as a child,” tweeted another.

This article originally appeared on our sister title Yorkshire Evening Post