What Sean Hughes wanted to happen after his death

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Sean HughesImage source, Rex/Shutterstock
Image caption,
Hughes was a stand-up comedian, TV star and novelist

A poem about death written by comedian Sean Hughes 23 years ago has resurfaced on social media as a poignant tribute.

The poem, published in Sean's Book in 1994, is titled Death and lays out a list of things he wanted to happen after he passed away.

He said he wanted people at his funeral to "have a laugh, a dance, meet a loved one". He also said he wanted people to say: "I didn't know him but cheers".

The former Never Mind the Buzzcocks captain died on Monday aged 51.

One fan dug out the poem from his book and posted it on Twitter after Hughes's death.

Death by Sean Hughes

I want to be cremated

I know how boring funerals can be

I want people to gather

meet new people

have a laugh, a dance, meet a loved one.

I want people to have free drink all night.

I want people to patch together, half truths.

I want people to contradict each other

I want them to say 'I didn't know him but cheers'

I want my parents there,

adding more pain to their life.

I want the Guardian to mis-sprint three lines about me

or to be mentioned on the news

Just before the 'parrot who loves Brookside' story.

I want to have my ashes scattered in a bar,

on the floor, mingle with sawdust,

a bar where beautiful trendy people

Will trample over me… again

Taken from Sean's Book by Sean Hughes, published by Pavilion Books

Image caption,
Sean appeared on Pointless Celebrities last year with Rhona Cameron

The London-born Irish comedian died in hospital in London. He was a team captain on BBC Two's Never Mind The Buzzcocks between 1996 and 2002.

He became the youngest winner of the Edinburgh Festival's Perrier Award (now known as the Edinburgh Comedy Award) in 1990 at the age of 24.

Comedians including Jack Dee, Jim Moir (aka Vic Reeves), Sarah Millican, Katy Brand and Richard Herring were among those to pay tribute to him on Monday.

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