It has been announced that legendary TV star Anthony Head has passed away at the age of 72.

The actor was famed for his TV roles as Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Michael Stevens in Little Britain, and Rupert Mannion in Ted Lasso. He also played politician Geoffrey Howe in the Margaret Thatcher biopic The Iron Lady.

‘He passed away peacefully of complications due to pneumonia, surrounded by his family,’ Anthony Head’s daughters Emily and Daisy said in a statement.

‘It has been, and forever will be, an honour and a privilege to be his daughters, and to have witnessed first-hand the impact both he and his work have had on so many.

‘We know how dearly he will be missed by friends, colleagues and fans of the shows he was in – he loved his job very much, and he always considered himself incredibly lucky to have been able to work alongside such exceptionally talented people, in such wonderful productions, across a career that spanned several decades.’

They continued: ‘Our grief is far greater than the hole he has left behind, but we know his legacy will live on in the shows he was a part of and in the audiences that love them.

‘How lucky we are to know we are able to watch him doing what he loved, even when he is no longer with us. We kindly ask that our privacy be respected at this difficult time.’

Anthony Head also played a role in many legendary programmes, from being a narrator on Doctor Who to playing a role in BBC radio drama The Archers, as well as a role in Bridgerton in 2022.

Head’s death comes just six months after the death of his partner and the mother of his children, Sarah Fisher, who tragically passed away at the age of 61 in December.