h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Some very sad (and, to me at least, totally unexpected) news:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4759968.stm

I've often said that there are very few female comics who can make me laugh, indeed at the risk of sounding misogynistic there are very few who don't annoy me to the point of launching myself at the off switch. There was always one notable exception, though, and she should have been making us laugh for many years more.

I was surprised to hear Linda Smith had died - I encoutnered her most on shows like HIGNFY or QI. I was reading the paper this morning and they quoted her comparing WMD to lost scissors and I could hear her voice in my head speaking those lines. So even though I didn't know her or her work to any great extent she is a comic face and voice I will definately miss.

As a lifelong Radio 4 listener, I'd known of her for some time. She has been quite a regular on programmes such as the News Quiz and Just A Minute for several years, and it was only a couple of years back that I first saw her on TV. She had her own very funny radio series, but like Paul Merton she was arguably actually at her best in the panel game format.

Nice to see you posting again Parrfers, but I wish the circs could have been a bit less sombre

I only knew her through JaM and I always enjoyed the shows that she on. She could certainly give Paul Merton a run for his money. There hasn't been a female comedian of her calibre on the show since Sheila Hancock was a regular.