Leader comment: Ronnie Corbett was a very easy man to love

Ronnie Corbett died yesterday, aged 85. Picture: Getty

He was quite content to be seen as just one of the Two Ronnies, a sidekick to his long-running comic partner Ronnie Barker.

Corbett, not least because of his lesser stature, may have appeared to play second fiddle to the other Ronnie.

But despite his modesty, he was, of course, an extremely funny man in his own right, which should be recognised.

Where Barker was skilled at wordplay, Corbett was a master raconteur, which brought him justifiably huge popular acclaim.

Their comedic skill sets perfectly complemented each other in the show which ran for 16 years and has been oft repeated .

Many TV critics have rated it as even funnier than their counterparts Morecambe and Wise. Corbett was a genuinely great story teller and joker. The tales he delivered from an armchair was the highlight of The Two Ronnies for many a viewer of the classic series, with his apparent laughing at his own jokes just adding to the appeal.

We should also be proud of Corbett as another Great Scot.

Edinburgh-born and educated at the Royal High School, Corbett divided his time between Gullane and London.

He was a passionate golfer and had been a familiar sight on East Lothian’s courses.

A member of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, he took a meticulous approach to his dress sense on the course, occasionally even admonishing other players with more sloppy attire.

Sir Michael Parkinson’s tribute summed him up perfectly – a very easy man to love and a perfect companion.