Comedian Tony Knight has passed away following a freak accident in June at the Rock’&’Cars Festival in Lavaur, France, a family member confirmed.
The incident occurred on June 7 at the festival that is described as bringing together classic cars and motorcycles in a friendly and Rock’n Roll atmosphere.
Knight, aged 54, was reportedly “having the time of his life” before the incident.
“He was fit, healthy, happy, and had everything going for him,” the family member stated. “He was charismatic, funny, passionate, and so very loved by Hayley, his family, and his friends all over the world.”
Hayley Wright is the late comedian’s wife and they have no children.
According to TMZ, French media reports state that a large tree branch fell on Knight and several others during the festival.
Knight was the only person who did not survive the incident.
GoFundMe Set For Tony Knight On Behalf Of His Wife Hayley Wright
In response to the tragedy, Joanne Allen, the sister of Knight’s longtime partner Hayley Wright, established a GoFundMe page.
Allen wrote, “Hayley is now living her worst nightmare and facing life without Tony, her soulmate. She is in Bouillac having to deal with the difficulties of Tony being an Englishman with Australian residency living in France, arranging a funeral, covering hospital expenses, meeting police detectives, doctors, and the mayor, visiting the accident site, and sorting Tony’s estate, all while experiencing a crushing amount of grief and disbelief in a foreign country.”
His comedy set, Mad Dogs and an Englishman had been performed in Australia and overseas, and he was preparing for a series of shows in the United Kingdom.
Tony and Hailey have been living on a family farm near Beaufort for the past four years and building a life together before the tragic accident.
The GoFundMe has raised over 8000 Australian dollars so far, with a goal of $20,000.
Tony Knight was a dog lover and listener
Aside from his comedy career, Knight was also renowned for his work with dogs as a dog listener.”
According to his website, he “helped thousands of dog owners all over the world solve problem dog behavior with simple techniques that use no force, pain, domination, drugs, or gadgets.”
Knight’s expertise in this field led to appearances on several television and radio shows.
According to GoFundMe, Knight held dog classes in person, online, on radio, on television, and in ebooks alongside other platforms.