Rik Mayall was well-known and loved for the anarchic, high-energy scene-stealing style of his comedy that often involved a funny look as much as a funny line.

He played some of the best-remembered comedy characters of the last 35 years, including Rick in The Young Ones, Richard Richard in Bottom, two different incarnations of Lord Flashheart in Blackadder, and devious Tory politician Alan B'Stard in The New Statesman.

The Young Ones
The Young Ones

An unverified Twitter account was set up in 2010 using the handle @RikMayall. Its sole tweet to date reads: "Opening my very own Twitter to stop another b****** from doing it. So f*** off & don't expect to hear from me any time soon. Love Rik x".

Here are some of his most memorable lines and scenes:

:: As Lord Flashheart in Blackadder II:

(To Baldrick [Sir Tony Robinson], dressed in drag as a bridesmaid): "Thanks bridesmaid, like the beard. Gives me something to hang on to!"

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:: As hero pilot Squadron Leader Lord Flashheart in Blackadder Goes Forth (1989)

Flashheart: All right men, let's do-oo-oo it! The first thing to remember is: always treat your kite [taps chalkboard picture of a biplane] like you treat your woman [whips the air with his cane]

Lieutenant George (Hugh Laurie) : How, how do you mean, Sir? Do you mean, do you mean take her home at weekends to meet your mother?

Lord Flashheart: No, I mean get inside her five times a day and take her to heaven and back.

Captain Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson): I'm beginning to see why the suffragette movement want the vote.

Lord Flashheart: Hey! Any girl who wants to chain herself to my railings and suffer a jet movement gets my vote!

"Captain Darling? Last person I called darling was pregnant 20 seconds later."

Rik Mayall as Alan B'Stard in The New Statesman
Rik Mayall as Alan B'Stard in The New Statesman

:: As Alan B'Stard in The New Statesman (1987 - 92)

"Why should we, the country that produced Shakespeare, Christopher Wren, and those are just the people on our banknotes for Christ's sake, cower down to the countries that produced Hitler, Napoleon, the Mafia, and the the the, the the the, the the the Smurfs!"

"Remember my friends, God is dead. Marx is also dead. But the market lives. The market must become your new God."

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:: As Richard "Richie" Richard in Bottom (1991 - 1995):

Richie: Some people are short-tempered, aren't they?

Eddie Hitler (Adrian Edmondson): Yeah, well, about four or five thousand of 'em, by the looks of things.

Richie: Yeah. But it's wonderful, though, Eddie. I mean, look. All the local communities are out there, on the streets.

Eddie: Beating the shit out of each other.

Richie: Yeah! Oh, I love carnival time. Oh, look at that policeman over there!

Eddie: Which one?

Richie: The one jumping up and down, waving his arms.

Eddie: The one that's on fire?

Richie: Yeah!

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