Carry On and Harry Potter actor Leslie Phillips dies aged 98

Carry On and Harry Potter star Leslie Phillips has died at the age of ninety-eight. 

The veteran actor passed away yesterday (Monday November 7th) following a lengthy battle with illness, his wife Zara Carr confirmed.

She said in a statement: “I’ve lost a wonderful husband and the public has lost a truly great showman. He was quite simply a national treasure.

“People loved him. He was mobbed everywhere he went. When we married he cheekily introduced me to the Press as royalty, insisting I was the new Zara Phillips and that I was related to the Queen.”

Phillipson’s career spanned eight decades, with some of his most notable accolades being his roles in the Carry On and Doctor comedy films in the 1950s and 60s.

He also appeared in a number of TV series such as Heartbeat, Midsomer Murders, Monarch Of The Glen and Holby City, as well as in films including Empire Of The Sun, Scandal, and Out Of Africa.

His last on-screen appearance came eight decades later when he appeared as the voice of the sorting hat in Harry Potter.

Phillips recently opened up about surviving two strokes eight years ago, with him telling The Mirror: “I’m too young to pop off just yet. I’ve got everything to live for.”