Sean Lock (1963 - 2021)
August 18, 2021 9:03 AM   Subscribe

 
Damn. So sad. He's so great.
posted by dobbs at 9:08 AM on August 18, 2021 [1 favorite]


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posted by Ickster at 9:10 AM on August 18, 2021


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Too young. I know him from the panel shows. He was funny and a good sport.
posted by Glinn at 9:13 AM on August 18, 2021 [4 favorites]


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posted by crocomancer at 9:14 AM on August 18, 2021


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posted by Ten Cold Hot Dogs at 9:21 AM on August 18, 2021


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I first encountered him on QI the British panel show.
posted by djseafood at 9:25 AM on August 18, 2021


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posted by Carillon at 9:27 AM on August 18, 2021


Man I'm shocked, gone too soon. I loved his work everytime I came across it, just so quick.
posted by Carillon at 9:30 AM on August 18, 2021


🥕
posted by suetanvil at 9:30 AM on August 18, 2021 [6 favorites]


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posted by Billiken at 9:31 AM on August 18, 2021


If that isn't a kick in the face, today.
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His was always my favorite voice on all those panel shows, especially QI and Cats Does Countdown.

Absolute favorite moment:
Jimmy Carr: Sean Lock, if you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Sean Lock: ... Well obviously the front.

posted by rp at 9:31 AM on August 18, 2021 [15 favorites]


As a Yank, I had never heard of him before. Judging from these wonderful clips, I am especially sad to have only learned of him now.
posted by PhineasGage at 9:32 AM on August 18, 2021 [4 favorites]


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posted by interogative mood at 9:33 AM on August 18, 2021


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This one hits hard for me, it's going to be really sad watching these shows without him, won't feel the same.
posted by stillnocturnal at 9:34 AM on August 18, 2021 [2 favorites]


Also who can forget his concept for Nazi island reality tv show.
posted by interogative mood at 9:35 AM on August 18, 2021 [5 favorites]


As a non British person, I wasn’t that familiar with him and didn’t remember his name but I instantly recognized his face and voice from having watched a few episodes of those shows. Sad to hear this.
posted by bitteschoen at 9:36 AM on August 18, 2021


Gutted. :-(
posted by prepmonkey at 9:39 AM on August 18, 2021 [3 favorites]


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We watch 'Carrot in a Box' every Christmas eve. This hits a lot harder than I thought a celebrity death could.
posted by Torosaurus at 9:39 AM on August 18, 2021 [3 favorites]


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posted by lalochezia at 9:41 AM on August 18, 2021


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I hope he gets the obituary he asked for:
Nnnnooooooooooooooo wwwhhhhyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?
Nnnnooooooooooooooo aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
posted by scruss at 9:43 AM on August 18, 2021 [27 favorites]


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Huge loss. Strong argument that Carrot in a Box is the best 4 minutes of video on the Internet. Pure genius from the first second.
posted by The Bellman at 9:44 AM on August 18, 2021 [1 favorite]


I can't decide among the endless clips available to us of just one, or two, or three to share here - just go to YouTube and type in his name and you won't be disappoionted. I first found him via QI, like PhineasGage, but I've followed him from there to anything and everything, the panel shows like 8 Out of 10 Cats, appearances on Would I Lie to You and even Big Fat Quiz, his stand-up, and 15 Storeys High as well (you can find some of it on YouTube and all of it Some Other Places on the Internet -- totally worth looking for).

What a brilliant comic. I have a feeling I'll be scouring YouTube today for anything of his I might not yet have seen. I had no idea he was ill and this is a gut-punch. So young.

Fuck cancer.

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posted by tzikeh at 9:47 AM on August 18, 2021 [4 favorites]


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"You can't write tears Jimmy."
posted by Pendragon at 9:47 AM on August 18, 2021 [4 favorites]


scruss: I hope he gets the obituary he asked for

Pendragon: "You can't write tears Jimmy."

Well now I know what clip to share. Thanks for reminding me.
posted by tzikeh at 9:49 AM on August 18, 2021 [9 favorites]


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His reaction to Joe Wilkerson’s poetry is on of my favorite things.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 9:52 AM on August 18, 2021 [9 favorites]


Oh no! I only knew him from WILTY appearances and Carrot In A Box, but those small things have locked him in my brain. RIP, sir.
posted by Going To Maine at 9:53 AM on August 18, 2021 [1 favorite]


Massively sad to hear this. I enjoyed the way he converted grumpiness into complete weirdoness.

(For whatever reason, it's spine in a sack that I think about way too often and start giggling over. "Don't be stupid, chipmunk's not even indigenous!!")
posted by mixedmetaphors at 10:09 AM on August 18, 2021


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posted by smangosbubbles at 10:10 AM on August 18, 2021


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Here's one of my favourite clips of Sean on QI in happier times.
posted by Acey at 10:11 AM on August 18, 2021 [1 favorite]


Who can forget his amazing mascots or his thoughts on the children of Mitchell Brook Primary School.
posted by dobbs at 10:16 AM on August 18, 2021 [4 favorites]


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posted by Wordshore at 10:23 AM on August 18, 2021


Stephen: Which popular game traditionally ends with all the players being thrown into a lake of fiery sulphur?
Sean: I hope it's showjumping. I hate showjumping.
posted by Acey at 10:26 AM on August 18, 2021 [13 favorites]


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^
posted by UltraMorgnus at 10:35 AM on August 18, 2021


Ooof.

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posted by Horkus at 10:40 AM on August 18, 2021




O, my. So sorry to hear this.

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posted by jaruwaan at 10:53 AM on August 18, 2021


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posted by introp at 10:54 AM on August 18, 2021


Cats Does Countdown was one of the shows that got me through lockdown :(

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posted by lock robster at 11:11 AM on August 18, 2021 [3 favorites]


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posted by Urtylug at 11:20 AM on August 18, 2021


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Heartbroken, he was fantastic. Fuck cancer.
posted by ellieBOA at 11:41 AM on August 18, 2021


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posted by doctor_negative at 11:43 AM on August 18, 2021


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posted by ambrosen at 11:49 AM on August 18, 2021


Too young. I loved the way he could deliver the most deadpan one-liners. I hadn't realized had cancer and have been selfishly hoping to see him appear on Taskmaster ever since Jon Richardson appeared on the show.
posted by forbiddencabinet at 11:50 AM on August 18, 2021 [5 favorites]


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posted by youknowwhatpart at 11:51 AM on August 18, 2021


As an American addicted to British quiz shows, I'm devastated. He was just the best. Cancer takes way too many people way too soon.

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posted by cooker girl at 12:14 PM on August 18, 2021 [1 favorite]


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posted by col_pogo at 12:24 PM on August 18, 2021


Ah, no.

I reached for his comedy in some Very Dark Times and it never failed to make the world feel a little less bleak. I’m going to hold onto that thought today.
posted by tuckshopdilettante at 12:26 PM on August 18, 2021 [2 favorites]


Oh man, I watched a *lot* of Cats do Countdown in early lockdown so this brings the feels. I didn't always love his particular persona, but he could be so damned funny sometimes.

Plus, man, Carrot in a Box. That's, like, legend.
posted by jacquilynne at 12:34 PM on August 18, 2021 [2 favorites]


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posted by Kattullus at 12:38 PM on August 18, 2021


“Shoplift from charity shops. They didn’t even pay for the stuff, so whose is it anyway? Plus the security in charity shops is usually just an old woman in a tabard.”

— Sean Lock, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, 23 August 2017.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 12:39 PM on August 18, 2021 [4 favorites]


Aw, crap.

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posted by eclectist at 12:47 PM on August 18, 2021


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posted by shesbookish at 12:48 PM on August 18, 2021


Maaaaaandy
posted by fullerine at 12:51 PM on August 18, 2021


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posted by Mister Moofoo at 12:56 PM on August 18, 2021


I, having spent exceedingly much of my life under multiple strata of rock and other sediment, actually--and completely unrelatedly--just learnt of this brilliant man's existence at around 1:20am CDT this morning, for reasons I still do not fully comprehend. Our time together was awfully too short...

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posted by TigerMoth at 1:23 PM on August 18, 2021 [3 favorites]


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posted by rhamphorhynchus at 1:25 PM on August 18, 2021


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posted by little onion at 2:00 PM on August 18, 2021


He was the funniest guy in Britain. Didn't even know he was ill. So sad.
posted by cincinnatus c at 2:12 PM on August 18, 2021


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posted by dannyboybell at 2:30 PM on August 18, 2021


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posted by synecdoche at 2:33 PM on August 18, 2021


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posted by Joey Michaels at 2:49 PM on August 18, 2021


A real comic legend.
posted by dazed_one at 2:50 PM on August 18, 2021


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Fuck cancer.
posted by Hey, Zeus! at 2:51 PM on August 18, 2021 [2 favorites]


he was also the winner of Carrot in a Box, and the Carrot in a Box Rematch

Oi, spolier alert, mate.
posted by Hey, Zeus! at 3:01 PM on August 18, 2021 [5 favorites]


Oh no. I love Sean. I didn’t even know he was sick. I’m crushed. Fuck cancer.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 3:34 PM on August 18, 2021


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Wasn't aware of him particularly, but watching the links in this thread is the first time I've wept with laughter in a long time.
posted by idb at 4:23 PM on August 18, 2021


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posted by jabo at 5:43 PM on August 18, 2021


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posted by asra at 6:21 PM on August 18, 2021


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posted by daam at 6:47 PM on August 18, 2021


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Such a loss to comedy. Was robbed of the Rectum of the Year title, but goes out as the undefeated Carrot in a Box champion.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 7:05 PM on August 18, 2021 [1 favorite]


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posted by mmoncur at 7:27 PM on August 18, 2021


This really has been a challenging wank.
posted by threeze at 8:24 PM on August 18, 2021 [21 favorites]


His name alone was sufficient to get my attention, and he never ever disappointed.

Rarely equalled, never bettered, as they say.

Very sad day. :(

Condolences to his family and friends.
posted by Pouteria at 11:27 PM on August 18, 2021


I’ve been watching a lot of clips of 8 out of 10 Cats lately, and he was always absolutely hilarious. Such sad news.

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posted by gemmy at 6:10 AM on August 19, 2021


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posted by LobsterMitten at 6:16 AM on August 19, 2021


One of my favorite Sean Lock scenes showed the level of comedy required to make Lock, a master of his craft, laugh uncontrollably. The first two poems are kinda funny, and then Joe Wilkinson steps up to the plate.
posted by prepmonkey at 8:57 AM on August 19, 2021 [1 favorite]


His appearance on WILTY. A winner there as well.
posted by dvr at 9:01 AM on August 19, 2021


As another American addicted to panel shows, this news just devastated me yesterday. I watched several compilations of Sean moments from Cats yesterday and just cried laughing. He will be missed.
posted by ceejaytee at 9:30 AM on August 19, 2021


Surely "The Tiger Who Came for a Pint" gets published as a proper book now (perhaps as a cancer research fundraiser)?

Fuck Cancer!
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posted by droplet at 9:43 AM on August 19, 2021 [3 favorites]


This really has been a challenging wank.

I don't think I've ever laughed as hard during a Metafilter obituary thread as I have during this one. I'm sure Sean would very much approve. We may of even gotten a national treasure YES stamp from him just for that comment alone.....but likely we'd get the NO stamp because it wasn't the first comment.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 10:47 AM on August 19, 2021 [1 favorite]


I'm usually not much affected by celebrity deaths, but this one hits hard; likely in part because I wasn't aware he was ill. I'd noticed not seeing as much of him, but attributed it to any number of circumstantial reasons. He will be greatly missed, not least because, like someone above, he was one of the people I most wanted to see do Taskmaster.

He's had so many great comedic moments. Carrot In A Box is probably best known, and for good reason, but for some reason watching him being fed a load of whelks by Miles Jupp on Cats Does Countdown is my favourite. "This has really backfired!" has become one of my go-to lines. (At about the 8.30 mark, but the whole thing is worth a watch.)

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posted by myotahapea at 11:32 AM on August 19, 2021 [2 favorites]




> His appearance on WILTY. A winner there as well.

Specifically, here’s his challenge: "While travelling around Europe, my friend and I came up with a scheme to make money on the beach."
posted by Pronoiac at 2:38 PM on August 19, 2021


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posted by Mutant Lobsters from Riverhead at 3:08 PM on August 19, 2021


Very sad about this. 15 Storeys High is a standout British sitcom, easily as good as Peep Show and anything by Chris Morris or Armando Iannucci.
posted by turbid dahlia at 4:16 PM on August 19, 2021 [1 favorite]


I started watching 8 out of 10 Cats because I was chasing a David Mitchell Youtube rabbit hole but kept watching it because of Sean Lock.

Fuck cancer.
posted by adoarns at 5:53 PM on August 19, 2021


The question in my mind is: will his wish be honoured?
posted by flabdablet at 9:36 PM on August 19, 2021


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posted by tychotesla at 9:37 PM on August 19, 2021


Also:

Nooooooooooooo
Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
Noooooooooooooo
Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhh
posted by flabdablet at 11:58 PM on August 19, 2021


threeze: This really has been a challenging wank

How much money do I need to donate to MetaFilter to get to favorite a comment more than once?
posted by tzikeh at 6:25 AM on August 20, 2021


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posted by valetta at 1:11 AM on August 21, 2021


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