Tributes paid as Father Ted actor Ben Keaton dies aged 70
Tributes have flooded in for Father Ted star Ben Keaton, who died aged 70 on Friday.
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The actor played Father Austin Purcell in a 1995 season of the hit comedy series.
The Irishman also had roles in Casualty, Emmerdale and Doctors.
Keaton died at Lincoln County Hospital on Friday, according to a death notice in The Irish Times.
A tribute read: “Ben will be forever greatly missed, loved and fondly remembered by his ex-wife Polly, son Waldo and daughter Daisy, brothers Des and Thom, sister Jeanette.
“Best known for his roles in TV shows including Father Ted, Emmerdale, Casualty, The Bill, films including East is East etc. and Theatre performances in Animal Crackers, Harvey, Cyrano de Bergerac, Hay Fever, etc, a founder member of the improv group South Of The River, and a director of the Creative Academy, and more. Funeral arrangements to be announced later.”
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I'm so very sorry to hear of the death of the actor Ben Keaton. I worked with him on Father Ted, where he was not only brilliant, but improvised a whole 'boring' monologue while shut in a cupboard, and greeted an antimacassar of The Sacred Heart with 'Ah, it's yourself...' 1/2 pic.twitter.com/NKHsuKclz5
— Lissa Evans (@LissaKEvans) March 23, 2026
The Nottingham Playhouse said in a tribute: "We are so sorry to hear of the death of Ben Keaton, a wonderful actor who is fondly remembered in our 2008 production of Vertigo. Sending our deepest sympathies to his family and friends."
A fan account for the star wrote on X: “Saddened to hear of the passing of actor Ben Keaton.“We knew him as Father Austin Purcell (one of my favourite one-off characters).
“He was a regular at ComicCon events, so I imagine many got to meet him over the years.“My thoughts are with his family, friends, and many fans.”Keaton’s ex-wife Polly has also paid tribute.
She wrote in a Facebook post: "So incredibly sorry to say Ben Keaton died last night. It was very sudden and we are all in shock.
"We had separated several years ago but we had half a lifetime together and infuriated and made each other cry with laughter in equal measure. He was a great dad to Waldo and Daisy and the finest Groucho and Cyrano I have ever seen."
His Father Ted character, Father Austin Purcell, was dubbed the "most boring priest" in the world by the show's titular character when he made his only appearance in the second episode of the second series.
Keaton held down a longer-term role in Casualty, starring in more than 50 episodes of the medical drama.
He also played Jeff Brannigan in Emmerdale.