Rory Bremner, Alan Davies and John Cleese among comedy stars paying tribute to Bulwell-born comedian John Bird

John Bird was best known for his work with impressionist Rory Bremner and fellow comedian John Fortune and their brilliantly biting and often frighteningly accurate satirising of the political establishment, as well as other well known figures in society and entertainment.

The two Johns were especially well known for their ‘interview’ sketches in Rory Bremner’s shows, known as ‘the long Johns’ in which they took in turn each week to play a bumbling interviewee from the social elite or higher echelons of business and politics, who was always called George Parr.

Born in Bulwell in 1936, John Bird attended High Pavement Grammar School and eventually went to Cambridge University where he met John Fortune and their comedy partnership began.

An actor as well as comedian, his career began in the 1960s and peaked in the 1990s and 2000s on the Channel 4 show Bremner, Bird and Fortune, after the trio had also worked together on Bremner’s BBC shows before that.

Bremner, Bird and Fortune ran for 16 series and was nominated for many awards during its run from 1999 to 2008.

Bird’s other TV roles included starring as the dad in the ITV children’s show Marmalade Atkins, three episodes of Jonathan Creek with Alan Davies on the BBC, the detective drama El C.I.D on ITV and the BBC comedy series Absolute Power alongside Stephen Fry.

He died from complications from a stroke on Christmas Eve.

His friend and comedy partner John Fortune died on New Year’s Eve in 2013.

Posting on Twitter, Bremner said: “Deeply saddened to hear that the great John Bird has left us. One of the most modest of men and most brilliant of satirists and one of the last surviving pillars of the anti-establishment.”

Alan Davies tweeted: “Sad to hear about the wonderful John Bird passing away. Hard to think of a smarter, funnier person and he had a lovely chuckle too.”

Comedian Angela Barnes tweeted: “You were wonderful in Bremner Bird and Fortune, however to me, and probably others of my vintage, you will always be remembered as Marmalade Atkins’ dad.”

And Monty Python legend John Cleese tweeted: “A sweet man and a wonderfully funny satirist.”