Ant and Dec have led tributes to Emmerdale and Byker Grove star Dale Meeks after his death at the age of 47. News of his death was broken by a family member on Facebook on Sunday afternoon.
The post said: "So unbelievably sad. Brother in Law, mucca, side kick and just the BEST friend a lad could have wished for. RIP Dale Meeks. So much less to laugh about now you're not there to share it with."
The presenting duo, who started their career on Byker Grove, said they were 'so incredibly sorry' to learn of his death. They said he was the 'loveliest of guys', the Mirror reports.
Ant and Dec wrote in a tweet on their shared Twitter account: "We are so incredibly sorry to hear the very sad news of Dale's passing. He was the loveliest of guys, even though he was a Denton 'Burner', the the arch nemesis of the Byker 'Grovers'!
"A sad loss at such a young age. RIP Dale. Sleep well bonny lad".
Dale became a familiar face on stage and screen across a career spanning three decades. He played Simon Meredith in Emmerdale and joined his soap co-star Mark Charnock for a performance that won them the Celebrity Stars in their Eyes title as the Blues Brothers.
The actor was also the frontman of blues act Shake Your Tail Feather and had regular roles on stage, including in touring productions of Chicago and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Love Never Dies. Last week he was back on screens playing a starring role in ITV true crime drama The Hunt for Raoul Moat.
