Rob Grant, Co-Creator of Red Dwarf, Dies Aged 70
rob grant, the co-creator of the long-running sci‑fi sitcom Red Dwarf, has died at the age of 70. The sudden passing prompted an immediate family announcement and a wave of tributes from colleagues, fans and the show’s cast.
Rob Grant: family announcement and timing
A message posted on the dedicated fan site Ganymede & Titan conveyed the family’s statement that Rob Grant "passed away suddenly yesterday afternoon (Wednesday, February 25, 2026). " The fan site said the death was a great loss to his family, friends and comedy fans worldwide. The site also acknowledged being in shock and asked for time to prepare a fuller celebration of his life over "the coming days, weeks and months. "
Ganymede & Titan and a fan outage
The news was first carried by Ganymede & Titan, which briefly went offline when many fans sought more details, a development attributed to heavy traffic. The fan tribute noted the timing was especially poignant: Grant’s first Red Dwarf novel in thirty years had been officially announced within the previous week.
Tributes from Craig Charles and colleagues
Liverpool DJ and actor Craig Charles, who starred as Dave Lister, posted a message on social media on Thursday afternoon (February 26) saying he had been informed earlier that day of Grant’s death and that he was in "total shock. " Charles called Grant "one of the funniest people I’ve ever met" and "a visionary, " adding that the impact he and Doug Naylor had on his life was "immeasurable. " Actor Cameron Yarde paid tribute too, noting Grant co-created Red Dwarf with Doug Naylor, wrote on Spitting Image in its early years including The Chicken Song, and contributed to Jasper Carrott’s show Carrott’s Lib.
Red Dwarf: debut, premise and run
Red Dwarf began as a sketch on the radio show Son of Cliche and launched on television in 1988. The series follows Dave Lister, who awakens from suspended animation three million years later as the last living human aboard the Red Dwarf mining ship. The show ran across 12 seasons and two specials—Back to Earth and The Promised Land—and later found a new audience when it was revived on the channel Dave in 2009.
Career highlights: Spitting Image, other series and novels
Grant was a principal writer on Spitting Image for many years, working regularly with Doug Naylor and contributing material such as The Chicken Song. His television credits also include the series The Strangerers and Dark Ages, and one of his earliest roles in broadcasting was writing for Jasper Carrott’s Carrott’s Lib. He authored multiple novels and had a new Red Dwarf novel, Titan, co‑credited to Andrew Marshall, slated for publication in July; it was described as his first Red Dwarf novel in thirty years.
Official reactions and fan responses
The Official Red Dwarf Facebook page expressed devastation at Rob Grant’s passing and sent love to his family and friends, saying he would live on through his creativity, storytelling and humour and ending with "Travel well, Sir. " On Craig Charles’s social post, many commenters shared condolences: Stuart wrote, "Incredibly sad news, " Steve posted, "Oh no, condolences to all of the Red Dwarf folks, " Matthew called the news "totally unexpected, " Chantal said she was "very sad, " Chris added, "So sad, what a gift Rob and Doug gave to the world with Dwarf. RIP, " Rob commented, "Incredibly sad news, " Alan offered, "Sad news. Thank you Rob, Rest in Peace, " and Greg wrote, "Such sad news, sorry for your loss, thank you for the laughs @realrobgrant RIP. "
The writer who announced the news also noted a personal connection, saying they had worked with Rob Grant and Doug Naylor on The Official Red Dwarf Companion and described them as devoted to the art of making people laugh. A cause of death has not been made public. The announcement described the item as a breaking story and said more details would follow.
What makes this notable is the convergence of timing—the sudden death came within days of a major publication announcement—intensifying the reaction from fans and colleagues and leaving several scheduled projects and commemorations to be clarified in the coming weeks.
