John Inman, a star of the British television sitcom Are You Being Served?, died early this morning.

The actor, 71, died in St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, west London, at 4am after being ill for some time, his manager, Phil Dale said.

“John, through his character Mr Humphries of Are You Being Served? was known and loved throughout the world," Mr Dale said. “He was one of the best and finest pantomime dames working to capacity audiences throughout Britain.

“John was known for his comedy plays and farces which were enjoyed from London’s West End throughout the country and as far as Australia, Canada and the USA."

The actor suffered from hepatitis A and had been taken into hospital for tests after problems with his liver. It was revealed that he had the disease after illness forced him to cancel the opening of a pantomime in London on December 9, 2004. Mr Dale said at the time that it was “not a serious illness” and that Inman was expected to be “fine”.

Inman played camp salesman Mr Humphries in the comedy series Are You Being Served? for a decade from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s. He starred alongside Wendy Richard, who went on to play Pauline Fowler in EastEnders, as well as Molly Sugden, Frank Thornton and Trevor Bannister.

Are You Being Served? ran on the BBC from 1972 to 1985 and depicted the antics of the staff of Grace Brothers, an old-fashioned department store. Inman’s character, the senior sales assistant in the menswear department, was known for his catchphrase “I’m free” and for his overt campness. The actor’s portrayal of the character brought him praise and criticism. In 1976 he was awarded BBC TV’s Personality Of The Year but he was also attacked by gay groups offended by his stereotypical portrayal of a theatrical homosexual, although Inman argued that Mr Humphries's sexual orientation was never stated.

Inman's manager said he hoped the actor would be remembered as a “genuine British comedian”. He said: “It’s a talent for that slightly camp comedy that can’t come from any other country in the world.” He added that Ron Lynch, Inman's partner of 35 years with whom he entered into a civil partnership in December 2005, "is absolutely devastated and, at the moment, inconsolable".

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