Emily Attack pays tribute to late BBC comedian Maddy Anholt

15 September, 2023

Emily Atack has paid tribute to the late BBC Radio 4 comedian Maddy Anholt.

Anholt passed away on Thursday (September 14), one year after she was diagnosed with a “rare and aggressive brain cancer”, her family announced. She was 35.

The actor, writer and comedian starred in three episodes of The Emily Atack Show in its first season on ITV2.

Sharing a selfie of the two of them, Atack wrote on Instagram: “It’s hard to find the words. Maddy Anholt was one of the sweetest, FUNNIEST, gorgeous and most hard working women I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing and working with.

“Just utterly beautiful and so talented. She made me laugh so much. Sending every ounce of my love and support to her family. Such an unbearably tragic loss.”

A statement from her family confirmed that Anholt spent her final weeks with her parents at their home. She “bathed in love and calm, and with the sounds of nature all around,” they said.

“You may know that shortly after the birth of her incredible daughter Opal last year, Maddy was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer. She handled the ensuing surgery and treatment with astonishing grace and courage, accompanied every step of the way by her family and devoted husband, Ben,” they wrote in the statement shared on a GoFundMe page set up to provide for Opal, who is one.

Her parents also thanked “the countless nurses, doctors, and the NHS as a whole” for caring for Anholt “with unfailing dignity and compassion”.

“In particular we would like to thank the magnificent team at Seaton Hospice at Home, who are the embodiment of empathy, professionalism and love,” they added.

Anholt had her own BBC Radio comedy series about a failing vape cafe, set in Dundee, called No Smoke in 2017. She also took her one-woman comedy Diary Of A Dating Addict to the Gilded Balloon at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Soho Theatre.

Last year, she wrote the handbook How To Leave Your Psychopath, which offers advice to people in controlling and abusive relationships. She was set to follow it up with Red Flags in 2024.

Farah Nazeer, chief executive of Women’s Aid, said the charity was “devastated” by the death of its ambassador.

Nazeer said: “Maddy worked closely with us as she wrote her book about unhealthy relationships, and her passion was to raise awareness of abuse amongst younger people, which she did by working with us on our Love Respect website and through her comedy and writing.

“Maddy was a creative, caring and determined woman, who gave her time freely to support us at Women’s Aid. She wanted to help so that other young women would not experience controlling relationships, and in her memory we will strive to continue this important work.

“Today our thoughts are with Maddy’s family, her husband Ben, and her one-year-old daughter Opal.”

Also paying tribute to Anholt was children’s author Giles Paley-Phillips, who wrote in an X post: “I am absolutely devastated to hear the sad news about Maddy Anholt, a truly wonderful, inspiring human being, and cherished friend. Finding it hard to find the words.”

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