Brave Cook dies in his wife's arms

Satire star Peter Cook finally lost his battle for life early yesterday.

He died in the arms of his Malaysian-born third wife, Lin Chong. He was 57.

Doctors who had thought desperately to save him confirmed last night that the cause of death was intestinal bleeding.

Cook was admitted to the casualty department at London's Royal Free Hospital in the middle of the night a week ago.

He was later transferred into intensive care.

Lin Chong, who married Cook five years ago but never actually lived with him, had kept a constant vigil at his bedside. Those close to the eccentric comedian believe that his hedonistic lifestyle was partly to blame for his early death.

ITV reporter Ken Andrews, who was one of the last people to interview him, said last night: "I spoke to him just before Christmas about a new golf video he'd brought out and he didn't look too good then.

"He said he was depressed about his failing health and you could see he was uncomfortable.

"But he still managed to be very funny, and he still smoked and drank."

Yesterday celebrities lined up to pay tribute to the shambling genius who was considered to be the founder of modern satire. His talent inspired a whole new generation of comics, from John Cleese to Rowan Atkinson.

Cook was also proprietor of Private Eye and editor Ian Hislop said the magazine would bring out a special issue to commemorate his life.

"It will be a tribute to the funniest man in the world," said Hislop. "He was a very good proprietor because he never interfered. He never asked why we were costing him millions of pounds.

"When I was being sued by Robert Maxwell Peter was at the back of the court waving his cheque book.

" I will miss his jokes. He invented the phrase 'this man is a proven Lawyer'. Surreal brilliance, impossible to match."

Richard Ingrams, former Private Eye editor, said: "I will always remember him as a very funny person to be with."

Veteran comedian and scriptwriter Eric Sykes said: " Peter was the most brilliant satirist we have and he opened the doors to a lot of other people.

"Of course, Alan Bennett has done very well, and Dudley Moore has done very well, and Peter didn't. But I think that was because he was not prepared to do what other people wanted."

Cook's close friend and fellow satirist Ned Sherrin said: "He was the first, he was the Governor. Every 10 years or so you get a new generation of comedians but they all acknowledge their debt to Peter Cook."

Film director Michael Winner said: "He never realised his full potential but every so -called alternative comedian today owes his existence to the genius of Peter."

Channel 4's Clive Anderson, who recently interviewed Cook on his show, said: "Peter was completely without malice.

"If there is a heaven he will be the funniest man there."

Last night Lin Chong and Cook's two daughters, Lucy, 30, and Daisy, 28, from his marriage to his Cambridge sweetheart Wendy Snowden, were being comforted by friends.

Cook's second marriage, to the former actress Judy Huxtable, broke up in 1981.

Louise Gannon and Sam Oakley