Children’s TV Legend Colin Bennett Has Died

Veteran BBC children’s TV star Colin Bennett has died. Bennett, best known for playing Mr Bennett in Take Hart and its spinoff Hartbeat, passed away last month, her EastEnders actor son Tom Bennett shared in an emotional social media tribute. A cause of death was not disclosed.

Sharing a photo of his late father to X (formerly Twitter) on March 8, Tom told fans that Bennett “sadly passed away 2 weeks ago today.” The EastEnders and After Life star did not provide any further details, but shared a touching tribute to his father, writing, “I still don’t quite have the words. He was my hero. I will miss him more than he will ever know. I love you, Dad.”

Bennett was best known for playing caretaker Mr. Bennett in the BBC’s Take Hart, a children’s program that ran from 1977 to 1983. He reprised the role for the show’s spinoff Hartbeat, which also featured the animated character Morph and ran from 1984 until 1989. His other credits include shows like You Should Be So Lucky, the 1981 BBC2 series The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and Luna. The Sun reports he presented game shows including You Should Be So Lucky, and Night Shift, worked on a musical adaptation of The Point with Davy Jones andMickey Dolenz, and wrote his own play, Hancock’s Finest Hour, which starred Jim McManus on stage at the Boulevard Theatre in London.

According to the Daily Mail, Bennett also ran a production company, An Acquired Taste TV Corp, and broadcasted for television for about 17 years. The outlet reported that after retiring from acting in 2002 after he reportedly began suffering from ill health, he returned to the industry. He most recently appeared in the film Rebecca (2020) and he had a role in the show The Full Monty, which was released last year.

News of his passing sparked an outpouring of tribute from fans, one person telling Tom, “Your dad was an absolute legend. I adored Mr Bennett… He’ll be remembered fondly forever by those whose hearts he filled with laughter.” Somebody else remembered Bennett as “a bona fide TV legend,” adding that it was “always a joy to see him pop up in the strangest of places (Night Shift!) having been such a staple of our childhoods on Take Hart.”

Amid the outpouring of support and tributes, Tom returned to the social media platform with a message of gratitude, writing that his father “wouldn’t have believed the amount of love he’s getting right now! The number of amazing replies is testament to who he was as a man & make me so very proud he was my dad! He’d be so honoured, humbled and pleased he played even a tiny part in many of your childhoods!” He added in a follow-up, “He was a special man & I’m so proud & it’s bringing me so much joy he meant so much to so many of you.”