Stanley Baxter, one of Scotland’s famed comedians and a major figure in British television for decades, has died at 99.
His biographer Brian Beacom confirmed that Baxter died on Thursday at Denville Hall, a north London care home for entertainment professionals where he had lived since late 2023.
Born in Glasgow in 1926, Baxter moved from 1940s Scottish theatre into national fame through variety shows and later became a household name with sketch series in the 1960s to 1980s.
He fronted The Stanley Baxter Show from 1963, later joined London Weekend Television for The Stanley Baxter Picture Show, and won several Baftas for his multi-character parodies. He returned to the BBC in the 1980s, appeared in Mr Majeika, retired from TV in 1990, and continued in pantomime.
He also acted in films in the 1950s and 60s and later made radio sitcoms and dramas for BBC Radio 4. His career earned him a British Comedy Awards Lifetime Achievement Prize and Bafta Scotland’s Outstanding Contribution Award in 2020.
Baxter publicly came out as homosexual at age 94, explaining he had concealed it in earlier decades to avoid persecution.
He married Moira in 1951, but they lived apart from the 1970s. However, they remained close until she died in 1997. His longtime partner, Marcus, died in 2016.
Per Baxter’s wishes, his funeral will be a small private ceremony with no memorial service.
