Ewen Macintosh: the gut-wrenching lead-up to the actor's death

Actor and comedian, Ewen Macintosh has tragically died aged 50. Referred to by his management company as a ‘comedy genius’, he was best known for his role as Big Keith in ‘The Office’ UK.

JustRight, Macintosh’s management company said in a statement: "With great sadness we announce the peaceful passing of our beloved comedy genius Ewen MacIntosh.” Despite confirming the peaceful passing, the years leading up to his death were marked by health issues.

Although the reasons are unknown, Ewen Macintosh was taken to hospital two years ago and posted a photo of his stay in the hospital bed in February 2022 on Twitter (now X). The photo was captioned, "Bad times for me I'm afraid chums. Stay strong out there.”

Photo: Twitter (now X)

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At the time, fans reached out to the actor on the social network and offered their support and sending their well wishes. But what happened between then and now and what caused the death of Ewen Macintosh?

The cause of death has not yet been released, however we do know that he had been receiving care from Willow Green in Darlington, in the north of England where he spent his final days. His friend Ed Scott said, "Thanks to the incredible care and love provided by the wonderful medical staff and especially the nurses who all loved him when he brought a smile to their days.”

The actor had brought a smile to many in his role as Big Keith in the TV hit, ‘The Office’, between the years 2001-2003. Ricky Gervais, writer, creator and star of the show, remembers his colleague finely and called him ‘very funny’ and ‘very lovely on social media. Finishing his tribute by saying, “An absolute original. RIP.”

TV Channel Gold also paid tribute to the passing of Macintosh on X, writing: "We loved him as Keith in The Office and were lucky enough to work with him over the years on the channel. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends at such a difficult time.” Referring to those who outlived Macintosh: his parents and his younger brother, Colin.

Photo: Instagram

Aside from appearing in ‘The Office’, Macintosh also had roles in ‘Miranda’ and ‘Little Britain’, with many fans happy to see his cameos on British TV. He broke into the world of acting and comedy at the Edinburgh Comedy Review where he performed sketch comedy with those who would later become his co-stars.

Yet, despite his success with ‘The Office’ and the fame he gave to the Scotch egg, he was never able to top the role and struggled to find acting work. In 2016 he was declared bankrupt and, during the pandemic and beyond, earned money by selling video messages, saying he did ‘birthday messages, stag dos and weddings’.

Photo: Twitter (now X)

MacIntosh's friend Ed Scott said: "He may have had a famous face known by millions as Keith from The Office but the person inside is what I will most remember… Ewen was so full of empathy, kindness, and integrity and above all a really good man.” RIP.

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