Rob Grant: Red Dwarf’s ‘visionary’ co-creator dies aged 70 as tributes flood in
rob grant, the comedy writer best known as co-creator of the long-running sitcom Red Dwarf, has died at the age of 70. The sudden news has prompted an outpouring of tributes from colleagues, cast members and fans, and raises questions about the future of projects that had only just been announced.
Rob Grant: life, career and works
Rob Grant rose to prominence as co-writer of Red Dwarf with his collaborator Doug Naylor. The sitcom began life from a sketch on the radio show Son of Cliche and launched as a television series in 1988. The programme followed the character Dave Lister as the last human aboard the Red Dwarf mining ship after awakening three million years after suspended animation. Over time the series made stars of Craig Charles, Chris Barrie, Robert Llewellyn and Danny John-Jules, and also featured Hattie Hayridge and Norman Lovett.
Grant’s television credits extended beyond Red Dwarf. He was one of the main writers on Spitting Image, working regularly with Doug Naylor, and contributed to other series including The Strangerers and Dark Ages. Early in his career he wrote for Jasper Carrot’s television show Carrot’s Lib. Grant also wrote a number of novels.
Most recently, Grant’s first Red Dwarf novel in thirty years, Titan, co-credited to Andrew Marshall, had been announced and was due to be published in July. That announcement came within a week of his death, a coincidence many commentators described as a cruel twist.
rob grant: circumstances of the death and public confirmation
A dedicated Red Dwarf fan site shared a message from Grant’s family stating that he “passed away suddenly” on the afternoon of Wednesday, February 25, 2026. The fan site briefly went offline, presumably overwhelmed by traffic from fans seeking details. A cause of death has not been made public.
Tributes from cast, collaborators and fans
Responses were swift. Craig Charles, who played Dave Lister on Red Dwarf, posted on social media on Thursday afternoon, February 26, saying he was in total shock, describing Grant as one of the funniest people he had met, calling him a visionary and sending his heart to Grant’s family and friends. Actor Cameron Yarde paid tribute as well, noting Grant’s legacy as co-creator of Red Dwarf and his early writing work on Spitting Image and Carrot’s Lib.
The official Red Dwarf social page issued a message expressing devastation at the news and sending love to Grant’s family and friends, adding that his creativity, storytelling and humour would endure.
Fan reaction: names and messages
Fans filled comment threads and social posts with condolences. Individual responses included a range of brief messages from people identified by first name: Stuart wrote that the news was “incredibly sad, ” Steve offered condolences to the Red Dwarf community, Matthew described the news as totally unexpected and extended condolences to the family, and Chantal said she was very sad and apologised for the loss to the Red Dwarf group. Another commenter, Chris, described the contribution of Grant and Naylor as a wonderful gift to the world, while Rob expressed gratitude for the laughs Grant provided. Alan thanked Grant and wished him rest in peace, and Greg offered his sympathies and thanks for the laughs, addressing Grant’s social handle in his message.
Personal recollections and the creative partnership with Doug Naylor
One writer who had collaborated with Grant and Doug Naylor on The Official Red Dwarf Companion recalled both men as a great double act, great company, and fundamentally devoted to the art of making people laugh. That partnership shaped much of Grant’s career and the contours of the Red Dwarf universe.
What happens next
This is a developing story and further details may emerge. The announced novel Titan remained scheduled for July publication at the time of these reports. Other items—cause of death, fuller family statements, and plans to commemorate Grant publicly—were unclear in the provided context and may be clarified in the coming days.
Grant was 70.
