His death was announced by his partner on Tuesday

His death was announced in a statement on behalf of his partner Mark Michael Hutchinson which said: "It is with great sadness we must announce actor and comedian Tony Slattery, aged 65, has passed away today, Tuesday morning, following a heart attack on Sunday evening."

Slattery was best known for appearing on 80s comedy improvisation show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and also starred in Radio 4 show Just A Minute and BBC panel show Have I Got News For You.

Along with his comedy show appearances, Slattery also had roles in films including The Crying Game, Peter's Friends and How to Get Ahead in Advertising.

For his stage role as Gordon in Tim Firth's play Neville's Island, Slattery received an Olivier Award nomination for best comedy performance.

During his student days, he was the president of the famous improvisation group Cambridge Footlights, at the University of Cambridge, where he was the contemporary of Dame Emma Thompson, Sir Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie.

The comic had recently been touring England with a comedy show and had launched his own podcast in October.

He is survived by Hutchinson, his partner of more than three decades.