CBBC actor Archie Lyndhurst, the 19-year-old son of Only Fools and Horses star Nicholas Lyndhurst, died in his sleep from a brain haemorrhage caused by a rare form of leukaemia, his mother has disclosed.
Lucy Lyndhurst said a second post-mortem examination revealed the cause of death as Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma/Leukaemia, a condition affecting around 800 people annually in the UK. She described Archie as "the most magical human being we have ever met" and said his death on 22 September had a "catastrophic effect" on the family.
Writing on Instagram, Mrs Lyndhurst said doctors assured them that Archie showed no signs of illness and that "there wasn't anything anyone could have done". She noted that "acute" in medical terms meant "rapid", and that it was "not leukaemia as we know it". Just days before his death, Archie had celebrated his birthday with his girlfriend Nethra.
Mrs Lyndhurst also criticised some media outlets for contacting the coroner's office to obtain the cause of death before the family knew the results. She described the lack of empathy as "astounding" and said the press had no right to "badger a coroner's office solely to find the cause of death before the parents".
Archie began his acting career at the Sylvia Young Theatre School at age 10 and was best known for playing Ollie Coulton in the CBBC comedy So Awkward. He also appeared as a younger version of comedian Jack Whitehall in BBC Three's Bad Education and other programmes.
