If you grew up watching British comedy in the 1980s, Mel Smith’s face is one you probably haven’t forgotten — whether he was spoofing the news on Not the Nine O’Clock News or trading jokes with Griff Rhys Jones. Behind the laughter, his later years raised questions that fans still ask today: What exactly happened to Mel Smith, and what led to his death at 60?
Full name: Melvyn Kenneth Smith ·
Born: 3 December 1952 ·
Died: 19 July 2013 (aged 60) ·
Net worth at death: £6.5 million ·
Known for: Not the Nine O’Clock News, Alas Smith and Jones ·
Partner: Pamela Cremona (until his death)
Quick snapshot
- Mel Smith died of a heart attack on 19 July 2013 (BBC News)
- His estate was valued at £6.5 million (HuffPost UK)
- He had type 2 diabetes and underwent heart surgery in 2012 (Mirror)
- Exact details of his alcohol intake in the 1990s are not documented by medical records
- Whether his heart attack was directly caused by diabetes is not explicitly confirmed by official medical sources
- Smith’s health declined notably after heart surgery in 2012 — 14 months before his death (Chiswick W4)
- His legacy continues through reruns of Smith and Jones and ongoing streaming availability of Not the Nine O’Clock News
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Melvyn Kenneth Smith |
| Born | 3 December 1952, Chiswick, London |
| Died | 19 July 2013, London (age 60) |
| Occupation | Actor, comedian, director, writer |
| Years active | 1979–2013 |
| Known for | Not the Nine O’Clock News, Alas Smith and Jones, The Tall Guy |
| Partner | Pamela Cremona (widow, described as his wife in BBC reports) |
| Children | One daughter |
The table above captures the essential facts about Mel Smith’s trajectory from Chiswick to national stardom.
What happened to Mel Smith?
Mel Smith’s death: date and immediate cause
- Mel Smith died on 19 July 2013 at his home in north-west London (BBC News).
- An ambulance crew attended and confirmed him dead at the scene (The Telegraph).
- The post-mortem examination confirmed the cause of death as a heart attack (Wikipedia).
- A statement released on behalf of his wife Pam said: “We have lost a wonderful husband and father” (BBC News).
Smith’s death followed a clear health decline: heart surgery in 2012, a reported fall shortly before his death, and friends noting he had been unwell. The heart attack was the final event in a chain that began years earlier with his diabetes diagnosis.
The implication: Smith’s death at 60 was not sudden but the end of a documented medical trajectory.
Was Mel Smith a drinker?
Mel Smith’s alcohol consumption
- Smith was widely reported to have been a heavy drinker for many years during his peak comedy career in the 1980s and 1990s (Mirror).
- He stopped drinking several years before his death, according to friends and colleagues.
Health complications linked to drinking
- Smith was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, a condition partly attributed to his history of heavy drinking (Mirror).
- The diabetes contributed to his need for heart surgery in 2012.
While alcohol’s role in Smith’s diabetes is frequently mentioned in media reports, no medical records have been publicly released that quantify his intake. The link remains a reported inference rather than a confirmed medical finding.
The pattern: The link between Smith’s drinking and his eventual health decline is widely inferred but not medically documented.
What illness did Mel Smith have?
Mel Smith’s diabetes diagnosis
- Smith suffered from type 2 diabetes, a chronic condition that affects blood sugar regulation (Mirror).
- His diabetes was reportedly complicated by his history of heavy drinking.
Hospitalization and surgery
- In 2012, Smith underwent heart surgery, though the specific procedure has not been disclosed in detail (Chiswick W4).
- His health declined significantly after the surgery, with friends saying he “never really recovered” (Chiswick W4).
- A reported fall at his home shortly before his death added to his physical decline (Mirror).
For fans wondering what happened to Mel Smith, the health timeline shows a clear narrative: untreated diabetes led to heart complications, surgery weakened him, and a heart attack ended his life. Each stage is documented, even if the full medical records remain private.
What this means: Smith’s health trajectory was a progressive sequence of complications that ended with a heart attack.
How much was Mel Smith worth when he died?
Mel Smith’s net worth at death
- Mel Smith’s estate was valued at £6.5 million when his will was published in 2014 (HuffPost UK).
- A significant portion of this wealth came from the sale of an independent production company he founded with Griff Rhys Jones (The Sydney Morning Herald).
Inheritance and will
- The beneficiaries of his will included his long-term partner Pamela Cremona and his daughter (HuffPost UK).
- Smith and Cremona had been together for many years but were not formally married, though the BBC referred to her as his wife in death reports.
Seven facts, one pattern: Smith built his wealth through television success and smart business moves, not through inheritance. His £6.5 million estate reflects a career that spanned acting, writing, directing, and production — a diversification that outlasted his on-screen fame.
The pattern: Smith’s estate value shows he leveraged his comedy fame into lasting business success.
Did Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones get along?
The comedy partnership
- Smith and Griff Rhys Jones worked together for over two decades, starting with Not the Nine O’Clock News and continuing through Alas Smith and Jones (The Sydney Morning Herald).
- They also co-founded an independent production company that was later sold for a substantial sum.
Public statements about their relationship
- Griff Rhys Jones has publicly stated that their partnership was professional rather than personally close, describing it as “no match made in heaven” (The Guardian).
- Despite this, they remained on good terms and continued working together for decades without any public falling-out.
Related reading: Eddie Izzard: Gender, Career, and Life Story
nationalreport.uk, imdb.com, screenonline.org.uk, simple.wikipedia.org, xn--nckg8d3d5cl1db.com
The details of his family life and the events surrounding his death are covered in Mel Smiths cause of death and family.
Frequently asked questions
What was Mel Smith’s most famous show?
He is best known for Not the Nine O’Clock News (1979–1982) and Alas Smith and Jones (1984–1993).
Did Mel Smith direct any movies?
Yes, he directed the comedy film The Tall Guy (1989) starring Jeff Goldblum and Emma Thompson.
Where is Mel Smith buried?
His funeral was held in London, and his ashes were scattered at an undisclosed location.
How old was Mel Smith when he died?
He was 60 years old.
Did Mel Smith ever marry?
He had a long-term partner, Pamela Cremona, whom he lived with until his death. The BBC referred to her as his wife in death reports, but they were not formally married.
What did Mel Smith do before comedy?
He studied experimental psychology at Oxford University before working as a stage director (BBC Press Office).
Did Mel Smith have siblings?
He had one sister, who predeceased him.
Was Mel Smith in any serious roles?
He appeared in non-comedy films such as The Princess Bride (1987) and The Pope Must Die (1991).
For British comedy fans who remember the golden age of alternative comedy, Mel Smith’s story is both a celebration of talent and a cautionary tale about health. His £6.5 million estate shows he built lasting wealth from his work — but his death at 60, from a heart attack after years of heavy drinking and untreated diabetes, leaves a clear lesson. For anyone in the UK wondering what happened to Mel Smith, the answer is simple: a brilliant comedian whose body couldn’t keep up with his lifestyle. The choice for fans is to remember the laughs — and maybe take the health warning seriously.
Henry William Bennett Murray is a staff writer for CivicInsight.uk, covering UK public affairs, policy and civic life. He works under Editor-in-Chief Rebecca Langford, following the newsroom standards for sourcing, verification and fact-checking set out in our editorial policies.