Comedian Maddy Anholt Dead at 35

BBC Radio 4 comedian Maddy Anholt has died. The actor, writer, and Women’s Aid ambassador passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 13 following a battle with a “rare and aggressive” brain cancer, which she was diagnosed with following the birth of her daughter Opal last year. Anholt was 35.

“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the death of Maddy Anholt, our beloved daughter, sister, twin, friend and wife, who left this world on Wednesday 13th September, aged 35,” Anholt’s family said in a statement shared to a GoFundMe page created to raise funds for Opal. “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. She spent her final weeks at her parents’ home, bathed in love and calm, and with the sounds of nature all around.”

Anholt’s family went on to express their gratitude for “the many friends who have upheld us with their love and prayers during this difficult time, as well as the countless nurses, doctors and the NHS as a whole, who treated her 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.” The family added that “in her short life, Maddy accomplished so much.”

Anholt was an author, speaker, actor and ambassador for the charity Women’s Aid. She starred in several sitcoms for BBC Three, BBC One, ITV and Channel 4, including Sunny D, Jerk, and The Emily Atack Show. She also made regular appearances on ITV daytime show This Morning. Anholt is also well-remembered as a beloved comedian, who had four sell-out solo comedies and wrote and starred in her own radio comedies, including No Smoke and Sketchtopia. After her first book, How to Leave Your Psychopath, was published in February 2022, Anholt announced in her last Instagram post on June 30 that she was working on a fiction book to be released by indie press UCLan Publishing.

News of her passing sparked an outpouring of tributes. Farah Nazeer, chief executive of Women’s Aid, said the charity was “devastated” by her loss, per the BBC. Anna Pallai, Anholt’s agent at AMP Literary, told the BBC, “Maddy was an absolute joy to work with, bringing a lightness of touch to each of her projects, however difficult the subject matter. I’m going to miss her terribly.” Anholt’s The Emily Atack co-star Emily Atack remembered Anholt as “one of the sweetest, FUNNIEST and most hard working women I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing and working with,” the Daily Mail reported.