John Cleese, Stephen Fry and David Mitchell have paid tribute to "wonderful comedian" Tim Brooke-Taylor after his death at the age of 79.

Cleese, who co-starred with Brooke-Taylor in the 1960s and 70s, said he was "a great performer and companion".

Fry described him as "a hero for as long as I can remember", while Mitchell said "the world has been robbed".

The former member of 1970s trio The Goodies died on Sunday after contracting coronavirus.

Cleese, who met the comedian at Cambridge University and went on to appear with him on stage and screen, said the news meant he had "just lost the will to be silly".

Skip Twitter post by @JohnCleese Tim was a huge part of my early comedy life. We performed together in The West End, on Broadway, and in over 100 "I'm Sorry I'll Read that Again"s. And then two series of "At Last, It's The 1948 Show"



He was a great performer and companion.



I have just lost the will to be silly — John Cleese (@JohnCleese) April 12, 2020 Report

Fry added that Brooke-Taylor was "gentle, kind, funny, wise, warm, but piercingly witty when he chose to be".

Skip Twitter post by @stephenfry Just heard the devastating news of the death of Tim Brooke-Taylor. A hero for as long as I can remember, and –on a few golden occasions – a colleague and collaborator on I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue. Gentle, kind, funny, wise, warm, but piercingly witty when he chose to be. So sad — Stephen Fry (@stephenfry) April 12, 2020 Report

Mitchell, who appeared alongside Brooke-Taylor on BBC Radio 4's panel show I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, described him as "a wonderful comedian and a really lovely man".

Skip Twitter post by @RealDMitchell This is terribly sad news. He was a wonderful comedian and a really lovely man and I feel honoured to have known and worked with him. The world has been robbed - he had years more joy to give. https://t.co/1rnGcYGlfk — David Mitchell (@RealDMitchell) April 12, 2020 Report

The surviving members of The Goodies mourned their co-star. Bill Oddie remembered him as "a true visual comic and a great friend", while Graeme Garden said he was "terribly saddened by the loss of a dear colleague and close friend of over 50 years".

Skip Twitter post by @BillOddie Fifty years and he only got cross with me once... well maybe twice... no quite a lot actually! No one could wear silly costumes or do dangerous stunts like Tim. I know it hurt cos he used to cry a lot. Sorry Timbo. A true visual comic and a great friend x. — Bill Oddie Official (@BillOddie) April 12, 2020 Report

The madcap sketch show began in 1970 and ran for 12 years, bringing the trio prime-time TV success.

Brooke-Taylor had previously starred with Garden, Oddie and Cleese, among others, on BBC radio comedy I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again in the 1960s.

Image caption Brooke-Taylor (right) with I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again co-stars including John Cleese (second left)

That later led to Radio 4's long-running I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue. Brooke-Taylor appeared on the first edition in 1972 and remained a regular guest.

The show's host Jack Dee said Brooke-Taylor was "a delightful man and never anything but great company".

He said: "Tim brought a unique quality to Clue. He was a proper team player, very generous as a performer, never egotistical and always more than delighted to set himself up as the butt of the joke.

"For me, his great comedy gift was playing the injured innocent and he did it with brilliance and a characteristic lightness of touch.

"It's always heartbreaking to lose a loved one, but these times have created the cruellest of circumstances for that to happen in and my thoughts are with his wife Christine and all his family."

Image caption The Goodies - Brooke-Taylor, Garden and Oddie - on their famous "trandem"

One of his biggest contributions to British comedy was co-writing and performing the famous Four Yorkshiremen sketch with John Cleese, Chapman and Marty Feldman, originally for the ITV comedy programme At Last The 1948 Show!

A host of other figures from comedy and TV paid tribute on social media.

Skip Twitter post by @RobBrydon So sad to hear that the great Tim Brooke Taylor has died. A wonderful man, so many happy times sat next to him on I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue. Here we are with Barry, Colin and Graeme at a celebration of the show in January. He was on great form. My thoughts are with his family. pic.twitter.com/9CfottzJVe — Rob Brydon (@RobBrydon) April 12, 2020 Report

Skip Twitter post by @richardosman Just devastated at the death of Tim Brooke-Taylor. What a lovely, funny man. He was on such terrific form on the ‘I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue’ tour in January. We had such fun. God bless you Tim. So very sad. My love to Christine and his wonderful family. — Richard Osman (@richardosman) April 12, 2020 Report

Skip Twitter post by @jonculshaw This is such terribly sad news. Tim was so wonderfully funny, brilliantly skilled and always so charming. Was honoured to have worked with him last year on a reboot of The Goodies. He was as funny, inspiring and delightful as he’d ever been.. https://t.co/bqpjuMNE8X — Jon Culshaw (@jonculshaw) April 12, 2020 Report

Skip Twitter post by @davidwalliams I was obsessed with ‘The Goodies’ as a child, the first comedy show I really loved. I queued up to get the Goodies’ autographs as a grown-up, and got to meet Tim Brooke-Taylor more recently at a party. I was in total awe, but he was so kind & generous. It is so sad he is gone. pic.twitter.com/wxyGpJoyIU — David Walliams HQ (@davidwalliams) April 12, 2020 Report

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