Comedian Tony Knight dies at music festival

'Freak accident' as branch falls from tree

Tony Knight – an English comedian who made Australia his home – has been killed by a falling tree branch while at a festival in France.

The 54-year-old – who also worked as a dog behaviouralist – died at the Rock’&’Cars event in Lavaur, near Toulouse, last month.

He had been due to perform his show Mad Dogs And An Englishman at the Edinburgh Fringe next month.

His sister-in-law Jo reported the news as she set up a crowdfunded for Knight’s widow Hayley, saying: ‘We are beyond devastated that his life was taken by a freak accident …an accident that we are all still trying to comprehend.’

She wrote: ‘He was only 54 and having the time of his life. He was fit, healthy, happy and had everything going for him.

‘He was charismatic, funny, passionate and so very loved by Hayley, his family and his friends all over the world

‘His passion was dogs and he helped people all over the world with his classes… He also loved comedy and had performed his show Mad Dogs And An Englishman at all sorts of venues both in Australia and overseas. He was about to do a run of shows through the UK.’

The Rock’&’Cars festival was cancelled after heavy branches fell onto an area where around 15 people were awaiting the start of the festival. Five other people were injured, according to local reports.

Festival-goer Robert Mosniertold Le Tarn Libre newspaper: ‘I was under the tree. There was a cracking sound. I just had time to get away from it. The people sitting in front of me were not so lucky.

‘We rushed to get them free from the leaves, but the two branches were really heavy and we needed several people to lift them.’

In a statement posted to social media, event organisers said: ‘Rock '&' Cars is mourning… all our thoughts tonight are with the family and friends who are bereaved. Our hearts go out to our friends affected by this terrible tragedy.’

Knight has been living in Beaufort, Victoria, for the past four years and he performed his show for two nights at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival earlier this year,

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Published: 5 Jul 2024