Geoffrey Hughes - Geoffrey Hughes Dies

The star, who passed away at the age of 68 on Friday (27Jul12), is believed to have been battling prostate cancer, according to Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper.

Hughes' fellow celebrities paid tribute to the actor on Saturday (28Jul12), with Royle Family star Ricky Tomlinson saying, "Geoff wasn't just an actor. He was my mate. I used to call him every few weeks but hadn't spoken to him in about a fortnight. It's such a loss."

William Roache, who appeared alongside Hughes in British soap Coronation Street, adds, "I am so sorry to hear about Geoffrey. He was a warm loveable ­actor with great comedy timing. He will be greatly missed. He was one of the Street's memorable characters."

The TV legend, born in Wallasey, England, began his career in theatre before landing television roles in the 1960s.

He provided the voice of Paul MCCartney in Beatles cartoon film Yellow Submarine, starred as Onslow in comedy Keeping Up Appearances and also featured in U.K. shows Heartbeat and Skins.