A peerless writer, actor, comic and playwright (to name just a few of her talents), Victoria Wood was also renowned for being one of the most down-to-earth people in the business. So when it was announced on Wednesday 20 April that she had died following a short battle with cancer at the age of 62, it seemed the whole world was compelled to pay tribute to Britain’s leading lady of comedy.

If there’s one thing that’s clear from the deluge of messages being posted on the web, it’s that Victoria Wood was a woman who touched all walks of life with her brilliant wit and wonderfully warm personality. Twenty years on, characters like Mrs. Overall from Acorn Antiques, which Wood wrote, have stood the test of time. And her raucous ballad about a randy housewife named Freda trying to seduce her reluctant husband Barry always elicits a giggle in the Woman’s Weekly office, if only for the line “beat me over the bottom with my Woman’s Weekly”. Her talent for turning the mundane into the magical was genius, and the response from Woman’s Weekly readers on Facebook proved as much. So in memory of one of the finest British comedian’s to grace the stage and screen, we’ve pulled together the touching tributes from celebrities and the rest of the world alike.

Jennifer Saunders, ‘truly an inspiration and had so much left to give and we won’t see it’

Ruby Wax, ‘a comic genius’

Jenny Eclair, ‘she paved the way’

Julian Clary, ‘You always made us howl with laughter’

James Corden, ‘so brilliantly talented’

Rory Bremner, ‘lovely, warm, funny, brilliantly talented Victoria Wood’

Lisa Riley, ‘a true idol’

Sue Perkins:

Alan Carr:

Paul Hollywood, ‘a very funny, lovely lady’

Mary Portas, ‘Thank you for the laughs doll’

Richard Madeley:

What did you love most about Victoria Wood’s comedy? Feel free to post a message on the Woman’s Weekly Facebook group, and share our commemorative video.