Cal Wilson died of 'rare and aggressive cancer'

Kiwi comic had been in hospital for four weeks before her death

New Zealand comedian Cal Wilson died of a rare and aggressive form of cancer, her agents have said.

She had been in hospital for four weeks before her death yesterday, Token Artists, have told reporters.

The company spoke to The Age in Melbourne, which Wilson had made her home, to quash rumours she had collapsed on the set of The Great Australian Bake Off, which she hosted.

They gave no other details of the disease which claimed her at the age of 53, triggering an outpouring of grief and tributes.

Based in Australia Wilson was a regular on panel shows such as Spicks and Specks and Good News Week, and was a cast member of improv show Whose Line Is It Anyway?

She also twice appeared on QI in the UK and was a writer on the 2020 Bafta awards.

Wilson had performed 14 times at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and was a member of its board. She staged shows at the Edinburgh Fringe a number of times from 2004 to 2014, and in 2018 was invited by Netflix to the Montreal Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal to record a comedy special which was released globally in early 2019.

Last year, she took part in the Australian version of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and this year became Bake Off host.

Spicks and Specks host Adam Hills said: ‘The news of Cal’s death has broken me slightly but the outpouring of love for her has been so heartwarming. She was one of life’s best people and she made everyone happy. Everyone. Off stage and on. That’s how you live a life. May her spirit live on. Love ya Calbo. X’

Mark Watson, who regularly performs down under, reposted the tweet adding: ‘The sudden loss of Cal Wilson is extremely difficult to process. I’m quoting Hills’s tweet because this sort of positivity is maybe the only way to go. RIP to a gorgeous comedian.’

Sarah Kendall said: ‘I remember meeting Cal Wilson a thousand years ago when we were both starting out at the Melbourne Comedy Festival. I liked her instantly. Over the years she was one of those people I was always so happy to see when festival time came around. Sending so much love to her family.’

News Quiz regular Alice Frasier added: ‘I will miss Cal Wilson so much. She was so kind and bright, always extending warmth, even to a strange square peg like me. I had it in my calendar to send her love today because I never wanted to get too busy to forget. Sending that love to everyone carrying her memory.’

Comedy Central star Ronnie Chieng called the loss ‘extremely tragic and sudden’ and Rebel Wilson wrote: ‘This is so tragic and my heart goes out to Cal’s family. I was very very lucky to work with Cal on multiple projects, especially over the last few years where she wrote brilliant material for me. She was amazingly talented and amazingly kind.’

And Flight Of The Conchords star Jemaine Clement said: ‘I'm heartbroken to hear about the loss of Cal Wilson. We worked together on my first job as a tv writer. She was as energetic and sweet as she seemed on TV, always taking time to compliment other writers and give advice to new ones (like me).’

Born in Christchurch, Wilson died earlier today at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydeny.

She is survived by her husband of 20 years, Chris, and son, Digby.

Here she is at work: