The CBBC actor Archie Lyndhurst, the son of the Only Fools and Horses star Nicholas Lyndhurst, has died after a short illness. His father, speaking on behalf of himself and his wife – the former ballet dancer Lucy Smith – said in a statement: “Lucy and I are utterly grief stricken and respectfully request privacy.” The 19-year-old, who was best known for starring as Ollie Coulton in the comedy show So Awkward, was described by CBBC’s head of content, Cheryl Taylor, as “such a talented young actor”. She added: “All of us at BBC Children’s are devastated. He will be greatly missed by us all and our deepest condolences go out to his family and friends at this time.” The independent production company that makes So Awkward, Channel X North, said it was “deeply shocked and saddened” by the news. “He was an incredibly talented performer and his contribution to So Awkward, on and off screen, will not be forgotten,” it said. “As well as hilarious, he was a generous, kind-hearted young man who we had the honour to work with on the show for seven years. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.” Archie began his acting career at the Sylvia Young Theatre School at the age of 10. Nicholas Lyndhurst told the BBC in 2013 that his son had inherited the acting gene. The young actor appeared in So Awkward, a sitcom depicting the lives of a group of friends in secondary school, from its first series in 2015. Archie’s father appeared in an episode in 2019. The circumstances of his death are said to be “non-suspicious” and an inquest will be held next week. Archie also appeared in Jack Whitehall’s Bad Education series and voiced a character in the video game Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward. Whitehall wrote a tribute on Instagram, saying he will “never be forgotten”. “Archie Lyndhurst came in to my life nearly 10 years ago, playing the young me in a short film I’d written,” he said. “He was brilliant, so talented and funny. An utter joy to work with.” Whitehall added: “I have no doubt he would have had a long and illustrious career and would have continued lighting up the lives of all those who encountered him.” Archie had been taking shopping to the home of Whitehall’s parents during lockdown when they could not leave, he added. The Game of Thrones actor Samuel Small wrote a tribute to his friend, saying: “To my brother Archie. I still can’t quite comprehend that you have passed. You still had so much life to live and I’d give anything for you to keep on living it. “My heart aches all day and every day thinking about you and I just wish I could talk to you just one more time so you could know how much I loved you. I vow to make you proud with every last breath. Love you from now until infinity. Rest in power bro.” He added: “Archie loved his friends and family so so dearly and we hope he knows how much he truly was loved.” Archie’s mother, Lucy, shared her own tribute beneath the post, saying: “He will love you and watch over you for ever.”