Chris Langham, BAFTA-winning Thick of It actor convicted of child sex offences, dies at 77

Chris Langham, the BAFTA-winning actor best known for his role in the BBC political satire "The Thick of It," has died at the age of 77. His death from pancreatic cancer occurred on June 24, 2026, but was only publicly announced on September 3, 2026, following an obituary in The Times. Langham's career, which included writing for "The Muppet Show" and starring in "Not the Nine O'Clock News," reached its peak in 2006 when he won a BAFTA for Best Comedy Performance for his portrayal of the hapless minister Hugh Abbott. However, his professional life collapsed shortly after when he was arrested and subsequently convicted of child sex offences. In 2007, Langham was found guilty of 15 counts of making indecent photographs of children. The charges stemmed from his downloading of illegal images between September and November 2005. He was sentenced to 10 months in prison, a term later reduced to six months on appeal, and was placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years. During his trial, Langham maintained that he had downloaded the material as research for a character in the BBC comedy "Help," a defence that was rejected by the court.