Tributes have been paid following the death of Father Ted actor, Ben Keaton. He was 69.
The actor, born Ben Burke-Kennedy, was best recognised for his time in the hit Channel 4 series, appearing in a fan favourite episode where he played Father Austin – a man described by the titular character as “the most boring priest in the world”.
His passing was announced by his family, who shared a statement with The Irish Times on Friday March 20. While they did not disclose the cause of death, they did say that it was “unexpected”.
“Ben will be forever greatly missed, loved and fondly remembered by his ex-wife Polly, son Waldo and daughter Daisy, brothers Des and Thom, sister Jeanette,” the statement read.
News of his death was also shared by his ex-wife, Polly Kelly Keaton, who wrote on Facebook: “So incredibly sorry to say Ben Keaton died last night. It was very sudden and we are all in shock.”
We were very saddened to hear of the death of Ben Keaton, who played Father Austin Purcell in Father Ted.
Keaton featured in the “Think Fast, Father Ted” episode of the programme. pic.twitter.com/s62zsBOpOn
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) March 23, 2026
“We had separated several years ago, but we had half a lifetime together, and infuriated and made each other cry with laughter in equal measure,” she continued, also describing him as “a great dad”.
Decades after playing Father Austin, Keaton continued to reprise the role, hosting various pub quiz nights in character and also starting a webseries called Cook Like A Priest.
Fans have been sharing tributes online after hearing of Keaton’s death. “That’s sad news. One of the most memorable characters. RIP and condolences to his family and friends,” one person wrote on Reddit, while many others cited quotes of his as some of their favourite from Father Ted.
Father Ted star Ben Keaton dies suddenly aged 69: ‘We are all in shock’
byu/riverskywalker inireland
“I’m so very sorry to hear of the death of the actor Ben Keaton. I worked with him on Father Ted, where he was not only brilliant, but improvised a whole ‘boring’ monologue while shut in a cupboard,” another fan wrote on X/Twitter.
Someone else shared: “Saddened to hear of the passing of actor Ben Keaton. We knew him as Father Austin Purcell (one of my favourite one-off characters). He was a regular at ComicCon events, so I imagine many got to meet him over the years. My thoughts are with his family, friends, and many fans.” Find more tributes from fans below.
RIP Ben Keaton!
Father Austin Purcell- the most boring priest in the world- was one of my favourite guest characters! pic.twitter.com/NA0fR03GDE
— Shar A (@Shar_A_) March 23, 2026
RIP Ben Keaton, who played Father Austin Purcell in Father Ted pic.twitter.com/acWGmsNRLc
— Russ #jft97 (@RussWalt81) March 23, 2026
RIP Ben Keaton aka Fr Austin Purcell. A Father Ted icon. pic.twitter.com/hVR39cZKRp
— Darragh Mc Donagh (@darraghmcdonagh) March 23, 2026
I’m so very sorry to hear of the death of the actor Ben Keaton. I worked with him on Father Ted, where he was not only brilliant, but improvised a whole ‘boring’ monologue while shut in a cupboard, and greeted an antimacassar of The Sacred Heart with ‘Ah, it’s yourself…’ 1/2 pic.twitter.com/NKHsuKclz5
— Lissa Evans (@LissaKEvans) March 23, 2026
He recorded a video message as Father Austin Purcell for our Wedding 10 years ago….as you can imagine, it was absolutely hilarious! #RIP
— DaveLovering (@d_lovering) March 23, 2026
“We run the gas off the electricity and the electricity off the gas, and we save two hundred pounds a year but then a few weeks later, god I’ll never forget it now, we got a new boiler…”
RIP Ben Keaton pic.twitter.com/a4acyGnYLp
— Father Ted Quote of the Day (@FrTedQOTD) March 23, 2026
Other acting roles included appearances in Emmerdale, in which he played Rita’s Brannigan’s father, as well as Doctors and Casualty. He also made a name for himself in theatre, taking on roles in American Buffalo, Harvey and Cyrano de Bergerac. He was shortlisted for an Olivier after portraying Groucho Marx in Animal Crackers back in 1999 too.
Other accolades included taking home the Perrier Comedy Award for his stand-up at Edinburgh Festival in 1986, and winning an Olivier Award for creating a show called Brainiac Live.
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