Inquest concludes comedian passed from natural causes at 51

Comedian Phil Butler died as a result of a blocked artery, an inquest has heard.

The stand-up and magician died in his sleep on a P&O cruise ship in Lisbon  in October at the age of 51.

An inquest in Chelmsford, Essex, yesterday heard he was a ‘relatively fit man’ but had complained about a pain in his arm while on the ship. Tests later determined the cause of death, the BBC reports.

Coroner Michelle Brown concluded he died of natural causes.

Butler, a stalwart of the comedy circuit, was one of the first comedians to perform for frontline troops in Afghanistan, for which he was awarded the Operational Service Medal.

When he died, his agent Chris Davis said: ‘The world is a poorer place without him.’

Published: 27 May 2022