TV great, Paul Laing, who helped launch careers of Lenny Henry and Les Dennis, dies aged 83 from sepsis
A British TV great died aged 83 after developing sepsis following an elective surgery to treat gallstones.
Paul Stewart Laing, a renowned British TV producer and director responsible for some of the most popular entertainment shows of the '70s such as Celebrity Squares and New Faces, has tragically passed away from sepsis. Laing is credited with launching the careers of numerous household names including Marti Caine, Les Dennis, Showaddywaddy, Lenny Henry and Victoria Wood.
An inquest held at Exeter Coroner's Court on January 16 revealed that Mr Laing had undergone elective surgery for gallbladder removal and common bile duct exploration on January 16, 2023, at Derriford Hospital, following an eight-year struggle with worsening gallstone issues. After being discharged four days post-surgery, Mr Laing appeared to be recovering well.
However, nine days later, in the early hours of January 29, he woke feeling extremely unwell. Hours later, he was rushed into emergency surgery to locate the source of sepsis in his abdomen but tragically suffered a cardiac arrest after being anaesthetised. He passed away shortly thereafter.
The official medical cause of death was determined as septicemia due to abdominal sepsis following elective surgery. Mr Laing's daughter, Jemima Laing, raised concerns regarding the clinical decisions made on the day her father was hospitalised, the dosage of antibiotics he was given, and how a significant IT failure on the day he died may have influenced the level of care he received.
Laing's directing credits extend to shows like London Night Out and Wednesday at Eightthe midweek edition of Sunday Night at the Palladiumwhich combined variety acts with the quiz game, Name that Tune. Hosted by Tom O'Connor and featuring acts such as Hot Gossip, the show propelled Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Phillips into prominence. Laings skills also brought him to The Eamonn Andrews Show and What's My Line. His close association with Andrews led to an invitation to join the This is Your Life production crew.
His daughter Ms Laing once paid homage to him, stating: "My dad loved living in Plymouth and spending time on his boat at Sutton Harbour. We are all very proud of his brilliant career and everything he achieved but it was his family and his partner who were most important to him."