Lizzie Cundy reveals close friend Ewen MacIntosh's kind words to her actor son, his love for Ricky Gervais and poking fun at Lionel Blair on the set of a Chris Rea video as his death at 50 is confirmed

Lizzie Cundy has paid tribute to The Office star Ewen MacIntosh after his death at the age of 50 was confirmed on Wednesday.

The Welsh actor became a household name after playing the impassive, Scottish egg-loving accountant Keith Bishop in the legendary Ricky Gervais sitcom The Office.

And Lizzie, 55, recalled her own fond memory of working with close friend MacIntosh after they were cast in a light-hearted music video for Chris Rea's festive song Driving Home For Christmas.

The song, originally a hit for Rea in 1988, was re-released as a digital download in 2009, with all proceeds going to registered tenant rights charity Shelter.

Cundy recalls the last-minute shoot at Shepperton Studios, where they were joined by Lionel Blair, Gail Porter, Mike Dean and T'Pau singer Carol Decker for a Christmas-themed video, and admits MacIntosh was a popular figure on set used to be.

Lizzie Cundy has paid tribute to The Office star Ewen MacIntosh after his death at the age of 50 was confirmed on Wednesday

She told MailOnline: “We just laughed and laughed all day. We thought, how can we believe that me and him are here in the actual pop video for Chris Rea, with so many big names? And there was me and Ewen.

'There was fake snow that kept getting stuck in his beard and hair and I kept telling him he had dandruff. Every time I danced and smiled, it went into my mouth and we laughed.”

She added: 'He was an absolutely beautiful person inside and out, completely humble and completely the opposite of what he could be. He spoke so well of everyone and loved each other Ricky Gervais. He was a cute, funny person. There's so much laughter.'

Cundy admits they also made fun of legendary entertainer Blair, who died in November 2021 at the age of 92.

She said: 'I pretended to be a very famous actress from America and Ewen supported me. Lionel completely believed it and then asked for my autograph, but Ewen was a great joker with a straight face, a great poker face and a lot of fun.'

MacIntosh was best known for his role as a Scotch egg-loving accountant in Gervais' hit sitcom, which became an instant comedy classic when it launched in 2001 and led to the creation of a successful American version.

The Welsh actor, who has also appeared in British comedies such as After Life, Miranda and Little Britain, had shared a photo of himself in hospital in February 2022 and told his fans that he was going through “bad times”.

His cause of death has not been confirmed, but friends praised the “empathy and incredible care” of medical staff and nurses. MacIntosh, who is survived by his parents and brother, is not believed to have married or had children.

Lizzie recalled her own fond memory of working with close friend MacIntosh after they were cast in a light-hearted music video for Chris Rea's festive song Driving Home For Christmas.

The song, originally a hit for Rea in 1988, was re-released as a digital download in 2009, with all proceeds going to registered tenant rights charity Shelter.

Cundy recalls the last-minute shoot at Shepperton Studios and admits MacIntosh was a popular figure on set

Gervais led the tributes on Wednesday, writing on X/Twitter: 'Extremely sad news. The very funny and very sweet Ewen Macintosh, known to many as 'Big Keith' from The Office, has passed away. An absolute original. REST IN PEACE.'

As fans of The Office woke up to the devastating news, many pledged to have a Scotch egg in honor of the late actor.

JustRight Management, the actor's representatives, confirmed the star's tragic death in a statement saying: 'It is with great sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of our beloved comedy genius Ewen MacIntosh.

'His family would like to thank everyone who supported him, especially Willow Green Care Home.'

In 2022, The Office star was rushed to hospital and said he was going through 'bad times'

The Welsh actor became a household name after playing the impassive, Scottish egg-loving accountant Keith Bishop in the legendary Ricky Gervais sitcom The Office

Ricky Gervais led the tributes to the Welsh actor after his death was confirmed on Wednesday