Last of the Summer Wine star was so ill towards end of life his lines had to be dubbed

John endured a significant struggle with throat cancer towards the end of his life (Image: Getty)

Last of the Summer Wine actor, John Comer endured a significant struggle with throat cancer towards the end of his life.

By his final television appearance in the 1983 Christmas episode titled Getting Sam Home, Comer's voice had deteriorated so severely that actor Tony Melody had to dub over his lines. This marked a poignant close to his career, as he died just two months later, in early 1984, at the age of 59.

The first episode of the iconic show aired in 1973 and ran up until 2010. The beloved series was set and filmed in and around Holmfirth in West Yorkshire and followed three elderly men and their misadventures.

The trio consisted of the mischievous Compo Simmonite (played by Bill Owen), easy-going Norman Clegg (Peter Sallis) and arrogant Cyril Blamire (Michael Bates).

Comer's portrayal of Sid, which began in 1973, made him a household name.

John was known for his role as café owner Sid in the beloved BBC series (Image: Getty)

His character was so integral to the series that Sid's death was only disclosed in the 1986 New Year’s Day special, Uncle of the Bride.

Beyond his role in Last of the Summer Wine, Comer had a diverse acting career. He appeared on Coronation Street as Mr. Birtles, drove taxis, and played characters like Wilf Jones in Emmerdale Farm as well as Ernie Shuttleworth and Les Brandon in I Didn't Know You Cared.

Despite his health battles, Comer's legacy continues to impact the community. Following the death of his wife Mollie three years ago, his family finalised his estate and generously donated £245,000 to Trinity Hospice in Blackpool, where Comer spent his final days.

The beloved TV actor first rose to fame in 1959 as part of double act, The Comer Brothers, when he and his younger brother Tony won first prize in the Butlin’s National Talent Contest – receiving a £1,000 and a film contract as a prize.

John died in 1984, at the age of 59 (Image: BBC)

That year the brothers were then cast in the film I’m Alright Jack, alongside Peter Sellers and Richard Attenborough and in 1961 they starred in groundbreaking kitchen sink drama A Taste of Honey.

Many members of John and Tony’s family starred as extras in the film including their parents and Tony’s wife, Margaret, all receiving £5 for their efforts.

Margaret Comer, said her late husband, who died in December 2011, “chose a different way of life” following the film’s release, choosing a career as a menswear sales rep, while Tony continued in show business and was eventually cast in Last of the Summer Wine in 1973.

Peter Sallis, renowned for voicing Wallace in the Wallace and Gromit films, starred in every episode of Last of the Summer Wine and its prequel as Norman Clegg's father. He died aged 96 in June 2017 at Denville Hall, a retirement home for actors, and was buried alongside his co-star Bill Owen.