American comedian Patrice O’Neal has suffered a stroke at the age of 41.

The news was broken by comedian Jim Norton on digital radio’s Opie and Anthony Show – a comedy show on which O’Neal was a regular.

Norton told listeners: ‘We wanted it to come from us. We don’t know how he is. We don’t know how he’s going to be. I didn’t want to do this by myself. I wish we had more news for you.'

According to American website LaughSpin, fellow comic Rich Vos added: ‘It’s so fucking sad. It’s hard to talk about it. He’s such a good friend.

‘What can you say? We pray that everything works out. And deep in my heart, for real, I think everything will work out.’

O’Neal has been a comic since 1992, and spent some time in the late Nineties honing his act on the UK circuit. He now lives in New York and in February this year, he had his first Comedy Central hour-long special, Elephant in the Room.

O’Neal’s family have requested his fans give them privacy, but an email has been set up for good wishes: LoveForPatrice@gmail.com

Further tributes have been left on his Facebook page, and that of the Opie and Anthony Show.

Published: 26 Oct 2011