Rik Mayall: Fan's family requested a signed birthday card and this is his entertainingly offensive response

A fan publishes a birthday card that is comedic treasure

(Rex Features)

We’ve already been privy to Rik Mayall’s entertaining relationship with his fans, as seen with his brilliant response to a fan’s autograph request published this week.

Now a birthday card has surfaced, sent to a member of the public from the late comedy actor reaffirming his legendary humour.

Karen MacLeavy - the daughter of a fan - wrote to Mayall, enclosing a blank card, explaining that it was her father’s 60th birthday coming and asking if he’d mind signing the card.

However, the family didn’t expect the message that followed:

“John, the whole world knows you have always been a complete and utter, utter, utter twat, but now you are an old complete and utter, utter, utter incontinent, deaf, blind, doddering, dribbling, toothless, brainless, insane old twat,” wrote Mayall.

“So I just thought, as we are both dangerous old bastards, that I’d wish you a very happy birthday you sad senile old git.”

The card was sealed, so no one knew what was inside until the day of the birthday.

“The look on dad's face (well ALL of our faces) was priceless,” wrote one of the fan’s daughters, Tracy Bosworth, on her Facebook page.

“I'm opening up the privacy on this so if you want to share it as an example of what a lovely guy rik was, feel free to do so. Xx”

Mayall died on 9 June, aged 56. The cause of his death is so far unknown, although friend Peter Richardson – whose son was “happily chatting” to the actor half an hour before he died - has attributed it to a “seizure”.

His wife, Barbara Robbins, said that no reason had yet been determined.