Posted in: BBC, TV | Tagged: red dwarf, Rob Grant

Red Dwarf Co-Creator Doug Naylor & More Pay Tribute to Rob Grant

Red Dwarf co-creator Doug Naylor, actor Craig Charles, and others paid tribute to the late Rob Grant, who suddenly passed away at age 70.

Days after he announced the upcoming publication of a new Red Dwarf prequel novel, co-creator Rob Grant passed away suddenly on Wednesday, the 25th of February 2026, at the age of 70. Grant created the hit sci-fi comedy show with his then-co-writing partner Doug Naylor, which first arrived on screens in 1988. The last episode, a feature-length special, aired in 2020, though the show's story has continued in other formats.

Red Dwarf starred Craig Charles as Lister, a slack technician who wakes from suspended animation after 3 million years  on mining spaceship Red Dwarf to find that he is the last living human with the hologram of a dead crewmate (Chris Barrie), a new lifeform evolved from the ship's cat (Danny John-Jules,), a sanitation droid (Robert Llewellyn)and the ship's computer (Norman Lovett who alternated with Hattie Naylor) for company.

Co-creator Doug Naylor wrote in a post on Instagram: "I'm deeply saddened to hear of Rob Grant's passing yesterday. It's hard to take in the loss of someone who was such a significant part of my life for so many years.

"I first met Rob when we were nine years old. We went to Chetham's School of Music and later Liverpool University. We grew up making each other laugh long before there was an audience, and eventually found ourselves building something that neither of us could have imagined when we were schoolboys. Spitting Image and later Red Dwarf went on to become two of the most loved comedy series in Britain. I'll always treasure those years of writing together and laughing so hard it hurt.

"Creative partnerships are intense, driven by passion, conviction and strong personalities. But at the heart of ours was a shared love of comedy and a desire to make people laugh and we did, on a scale neither of us could have predicted. My thoughts are with Rob's wife Kath, and all his family and friends. I will always be grateful for my time working with Rob and what we created together. RIP Smeghead! X #reddwarf"

Charles also paid tribute to Grant, writing in a post on X: "Earlier today I was informed of the passing of @realrobgrant. I am in total shock. He was one of the funniest people I've ever met. A visionary. My heart goes out to his family and friends. The impact he and Doug had on the course of my life is immeasurable RIP ROB."

Robert Llewellyn, who played Kryten, wrote on Threads: "Very sad news about Rob Grant, who, along with Doug Naylor created the long running comedy series Red Dwarf. He passed away on Wednesday, Rob was a very funny man with a talent for stinging reposts."

A post from The Official Red Dwarf Fan Club on X said: "We are devastated to learn of Rob's passing and send love to his family and friends. He will always live on through his amazing creativity, storytelling and humour. Travel well, Sir."

Grant had hoped Red Dwarf: Titan, the upcoming prequel novel, would form the basis for a new TV series.

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