Comedian Gary Little has died at the age of 61.
It has been reported that he died while on a hill climb, but his exact cause of death has not yet been confirmed.
Comedy club The Stand in Glasgow announced the sad news with a statement, writing on social media: ‘We here at The Stand are utterly devastated to hear the news of the passing of big Gary Little. An incredible comic, huge personality and friend to many.
‘We are lost for words, and he will be profoundly and sorely missed. Our thoughts go out to all his family and friends right now.
‘There will be many a comic thinking about him tonight, telling stories and raising a glass. He would have liked that.’
Just two weeks ago, Little, hailed as ‘one of Scotland’s finest comedians,’ performed in Dundee for one of his final gigs at entertainment venue Number 57.
Taking to Facebook upon learning of his death, the owners wrote: ‘Some terribly sad news reaching us today, from all of our wider audience and of course the team here at Number 57 RIP Big Man ….you will sorely missed x’
Little was next due to perform stand-up in Aberdeen in September before appearing alongside Raymond Mearns in Still Got It at the Gardyne Theatre at the start of November.
After his death became public, shocked comedy fans and fellow performers also shared tributes, with Kevin Bridges writing on Instagram: ‘RIP big Gary, very sad news.’
Jo Caulfield said: ‘Gary Little was a great comic and an amazing person to spend time with.
‘I will truly miss not seeing you backstage and never hearing that big mischievous laugh.’
Speaking highly of Little, Glaswegian comic Darren Connell added fondly: ‘Scottish comedy lost a legend today — heart-breaking news. Gary was an absolute powerhouse.
‘He hosted my first ever gig when I was 18 years old, and after a shocker of a set, he took me aside and told me to keep my head down, work hard, and not let it get to me.’
The Some Laugh podcast also penned: ‘We’re absolutely gutted to learn of the passing of the legend Gary Little.
‘Gary was one of the best stand-ups Scotland has ever produced, an absolute powerhouse of a comedian as well as a genuinely lovely guy with a heart of gold.
‘It was a pleasure to learn from someone like Gary as we were all coming up on the comedy scene, and his episode an appearance on our live show are up there with the all-time moments of the pod [sic]’.
Little rose to prominence on the comedy scene in the early 2000s, having secured a place in the final of one of The Stand’s competitions.
He ventured into comedy after a prison stint, having spent time behind bars in the early 90s on a drug-dealing charge.
Little was arrested again in 2007 and briefly jailed for stealing books at a warehouse, where he worked as a forklift truck driver. After reselling the books on eBay, he made £100,000 profit.
During his stand-up routines, Little would draw on his personal experiences, tackling themes such as addiction and mental health.
He further explored his battles in a four-part series for BBC Radio 4 last year, which was titled Gary Little: At Large and offered a ‘hilarious perspective of life before, behind, and beyond bars.’
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.