The Office legend Ewen MacIntosh has sadly passed away at the age of 50, and tributes have poured in for the actor.
Though he was most famous for his role as accountant Keith Bishop in the mockumentary sitcom, EastEnders fans will remember the time he made a surprise cameo on the BBC soap.
Back in 2020, viewers were left thrilled by the sudden appearance of Ewen during a scene with Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt).
Ian had ordered a memorial bench for Dennis Rickman, following his death in the boat crash, and intended to surprise Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) with it.
However, he was left frustrated when it arrived earlier than expected. As a result, he confronted the delivery man — who was portrayed by Ewen — in a hilarious scene.
Said delivery man believed the bench was intended to commemorate the memory of Ian himself — which he found amusing given that he was still very much alive.
Afterwards, Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) made a heartfelt speech in front of the whole community — much to Ian’s dismay — revealing that her son had done this out of the goodness of his heart, but Dotty Cotton (Milly Zero) and Vinny Panesar (Shiva Jalota) weren’t pleased, given they knew the stalwart had a part to play in Dennis’ demise.
Fans at the time took to Twitter/X to express their joy and surprise at seeing ‘Big Keith’ back on screens.
Ben said that Ewen’s appearance on EastEnders ‘literally made my life,’ while other fans simply exclaimed, ‘Big Keith!’.
Ewen’s death was announced earlier today, with the company that represented him, Just Right Management, writing on Twitter/X: ‘With great sadness we announce the peaceful passing of our beloved comedy genius Ewen MacIntosh.
‘His family thank all who supported him, especially Willow Green Care Home. There will be a private cremation for family & close friends soon & a celebratory memorial later in the year.’
