The comedian Gareth Richards died in a car accident after almost two weeks of suffering from brain injuries in a motorway crash. He was the former co-host of the Frank Skinner Show on Absolute Radio. The incident took place on Friday, 27 March 2023.
Richards was involved in a car crash on the M25 motorway near Heathrow Airport. In this, he suffered severe brain injuries and was placed on life support. He died on 7 April when his life support was removed.
Skinner, his co-star, broke down live on air talking about Richards after his death on 7 April. He was telling listeners that the show’s team did not want to go on air without mentioning his friend.
A crowdfunding campaign to set up a trust fund for his sons raised over £18,000 in the first few days, and as of 26 June 2023, it had raised over £47,000.
Who was Gareth Richards?

Richards had been a stand-up comedian since 2004. He continued featuring at the Edinburgh Fringe 10 times and on a variety of BBC TV and radio comedy programmes. The comic star co-hosted on Absolute Radio with Skinner and Emily Dean for two years.
He was co-host of The Frank Skinner Show on Absolute Radio. The comedian had appeared on shows like Russell Howard’s Good News and 4 Stands Up as well as BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 4.
His debut Edinburgh Fringe show was Stand Up Between Songs. It was nominated for the Best Newcomer award at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards. The songs from this show were released as an EP.
It was titled These Songs Could Be Used in Adverts. He hosted Gareth Richards’ Lonely Hearts Podcast with David Trent from 2016 to 2017.
What did his Wife Say About the Incident?
The comedian’s wife, Laura, shared in a post that he had sadly died from his injuries on April 7. As per some reports, he was in a terrible car accident on 27 March at 11.30 pm. He had sustained serious brain injuries, and it was a miracle that he arrived at the hospital alive.
Since then, the doctors and nurses have been incredible. They have kept him in a stable and sedated condition. However, the latest scan revealed that the extent of the damage was very severe.
Considering the level of damage suffered, the doctors revealed that they would have to remove all of the supportive medications and allow him to be at peace.
Richard’s wife said that their sons were “bearing up well” with the loss. She has also thanked people for their support and kindness. Skinner broke down live on air talking about Richards. The host was telling the listeners that the show’s team did not want to go on air without mentioning his friend.
How did His Co-host and Colleagues Show their Love for Him?
The comedian Elis James paid a tribute to Richards. He posted, “I’m so sad to hear about Gareth Richards. We started comedy at the same time and I was totally in awe of his talent, but more importantly, I was always struck by how kind and gentle a man he was. Just a complete delight to be around. My thoughts are with his family.”
A fellow comedian Angela Barnes also shared her message of condolence by writing on her social media handle. She wrote, “The news we’ve all been dreading has come that @garethrichards has left us.
Another comedian Rhys James tweeted: “I was a fan of Gareth Richards before I met him and was so thrilled by how lovely and hilarious he was offstage as well as on. A giant of joke writing.
The comedian’s friends Mark Simmons and Danny Ward staged “A Show for Gareth Richards” in his name at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2023. This includes Frank Skinner, Stewart Lee and Jack Whitehall.
The show won the first Victoria Wood award at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2023. It has also raised almost £20,000 for Richards’ family.
A crowdfunding campaign to set up a trust fund for his sons raised over £18,000 in the first few days, and as of 26 June 2023, it had raised over £47,000.
Conclusion
The comedian was a well-loved individual and all his co-hosts and colleagues have mourned his loss with the family. They have tried their ways to stand by the side of his family in this testing time.
Also read: Dana Carvey’s Son, Dex, Dies at 32: Accidental Drug Overdose Revealed