Satirist John Wells is dead

The British satirist and actor, John Wells, has died.

He was sixty-one, and had been suffering from cancer.

Wells was best known for his impersonation on stage and television of Denis Thatcher, the husband of the former Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher.

The character developed from a column Wells co-wrote for the satirical magazine, Private Eye, know as the Dear Bill letters, which purported to be from Mr Thatcher.

John Wells made frequent appearances in a variety of comedies, where his languid upper-class voice and fine comic timing were deployed to good effect.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service