Stars pay tribute to Eddie Large, who has died of coronavirus aged 78

Large had been in hospital due to heart failure when he reportedly contracted coronavirus. In the statement, his son said: "It is with great sadness that Mum and I need to announce that my dad, Edward McGinnis, passed away in the early hours of this morning.

"He had been suffering with heart failure and unfortunately, whilst in hospital, contracted the corona virus, which his heart was sadly not strong enough to fight.

"We will miss him terribly and we are so proud of everything he achieved in his career with Syd [Little] and know that he was much loved by the millions that watched them each week."

Since the announcement, stars have taken to social media to pay tribute to the comedy legend. Matt Lucas said Large had been "really lovely and encouraging" when he was starting out on Shooting Stars.

https://twitter.com/RealMattLucas/status/1245675783244390402

Actor Kate Robbins, who appears on Celebrity Gogglebox alongside daughter Emily Atack, also showed her support, tweeting: "Sorry to hear the comedian Eddie Large has died. What a great chap he was. A real pro. Rest in peace Eddie"

https://twitter.com/KateRobbins/status/1245675454692032514

Piers Morgan also shared the sad news on Twitter, stating how beloved Eddie and Syd are.

https://twitter.com/piersmorgan/status/1245668593628479490

Presenter and Dancing on Ice contestant Michael Barrymore, who had been Large's support act for "many years", remembered the comedian for being "nothing but kind caring and supportive to the upstart at the bottom of the Bill."

https://twitter.com/MrBarrymore/status/1245669610172616706

Tommy Cannon also joined in the tributes for his friend. "Devastated to hear my good friend Eddie Large has passed.. very heavy hearts at home today," he Tweeted.

https://twitter.com/TheTommyCannon/status/1245667862322262018

Little and Large won Opportunity Knocks and went on to have a long-running comedy sketch show on BBC One, becoming two of the most famous faces on telly in the '70s and '80s.