'Allo 'Allo! star Gorden Kaye dies aged 75

Actor was best known for playing Rene Artois in the British sitcom.

Gorden Kaye, with Carmen Silvera, his co-star in the BBC TV sitcom ''Allo 'Allo' at the BAFTA Awards, London, 16th March 1986 Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Gorden Kaye, the BAFTA-nominated English comic actor best known for starring in 'Allo 'Allo!, has died at the age of 75.

The Hudderfield-born star passed away in a care home today (23 January), his former agency said.

Best known for playing Rene Artois in the iconic British TV comedy series 'Allo 'Allo!, Kaye had rarely been seen onscreen following the end of the long-running show, in which he first starred in 1982.

He also appeared in Last of the Summer Wine, Are You Being Served?, Emmerdale and Coronation Street.

He returned to filming 'Allo 'Allo! in 1990 after being seriously injured in a car accident; the actor had been left fighting for his life in hospital after an advertising board plank blew through his car windscreen during the Burns' Day Storm in January of that year.

The British sitcom was first broadcast on BBC1 from 1982 to 1992, and comprised of 85 episodes. The story is set in a small-town café in German-occupied France during the Second World War, making light of the Nazis. It was written by David Croft and Jeremy Lloyd.

Shane Allen, controller of BBC comedy commissioning, said today: "Gorden Kaye was a terrific comic actor whose signature role, Rene Artois, earned his place in the comedy hall of fame.

"He was instrumental in making 'Allo 'Allo! such a long running and well-loved series. His work lives on and thoughts are with friends and loved ones at this sad time," MailOnline reports.