Fellow comic Ricky Gervais mourned the loss on Twitter, calling Lock “one of the most influential comedians of a generation”.
“Such sad news. RIP the wonderful Sean Lock,” Gervais wrote. “[He was] one of the funniest, most influential comedians of a generation. A sweet person.”
Lock had a lucky break from 2005 with an 18-season career as team captain on Jimmy Carr’s Channel 4 comedy panel show “8 Out of 10 Cats”. He was then cast for its spin-off, “8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.”
Lock also wrote and starred in the BBC sitcom ’15 Storeys High’, co-host of ‘The Big Fat Quiz of the Year’. He toured with his improv show “Lockipedia” where he would talk at length about random topics suggested by the audience.
He leaves behind his wife, Anoushka Nara Giltsoff, and their three children.