Keith Barron, best known for starring in sitcom Duty Free, has died at the age of 83 after a shirt illness. The actor also appeared in Coronation Street, Benidorm, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) and Doctor Who. In a statement, Keith's agent said the star has enjoyed "a long and varied career, of which he was immensely proud". He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Mary, and son Jamie, who is also an actor.
Yorkshire-born Keith starred in a number of British television shows, but his most memorable role was playing David Pearce in Duty Free, between 1984 and 1986. The comedy series, which was set in Spain, was based on two couple – David and Amy Pearce, and Robert and Linda Cochran – who meet on holiday in the same hotel in Marbella. Much of the show's humour came from David and Linda's attempts to hide their affair from their spouses.
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Keith Barron starred as David Pearce in hit comedy series Duty Free
Over the course of his long career, Keith also starred in the Hollywood film, The Land That Time Forgot, and appeared in hit British shows including Doctors, A Touch of Frost and Casualty. His final TV appearance was in DCI Banks, in which he played Arthur Banks for ten episodes last year.
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Former Casualty actress Sunetra Sarker was among those to pay tribute to her former co-star on the medical series. She tweeted: "So sad to hear of dear friend Keith Barron passing away. One of a kind. Guaranteed laughter. Shall never forget those days. Old school." Morris Bright, the chairman of Elstree Studios, also paid tribute to the actor. "Deeply saddened at passing of the great actor Keith Barron," he wrote on Twitter. "He was a good friend of the industry and of Elstree Studios. We knew he had been unwell. Last met him at Elstree in 2009. A true gentleman."