kirsty
i think she was incredibly brave to keep her illness a secret and go on being so hilarious in spite of it.

Graham Turner
How right they were when they said the good die young. Linda was unique and I like to think she is making a new audience laugh somewhere out there.

Malcolm Seath
Linda will be sadly missed. A true comic genius. RIP

Peter
She brought joy and that is a rare and treasured gift.

Emma
I would have loved to have seen Linda take her natural seat as the host of Have I Got News For You following Angus's departure. She was my comic inspiration, her witty oneliners will live on in her absence. Im gonna miss you Linda.

Michael Osborn
You could guarantee that any programme Linda appeared on would be enriched by her tremendous wit and turn of phrase. She brightened many a dull day. A true comedy legend.

Mel Epling
Britain is blessed with more than its share of brilliant comedians, but Linda was in a class all her own. Her brilliant mind and well-placed moral outrage was always tempered with the down-to-earth and the colloquial. Her relentless wit brought this American listener to tears on a regular basis. What a loss this is for us all.

Blod
I even laughed at the obituaries because I could hear her reading stuff aloud and then dismembering it! definiteley one of life's best and much needed people who could put some of the more pompous panellists right back where they belonged, at the other end of her tongue. Very sadly missed by so many people.

Claire : Norwich
How we take people for granted. I wish I'd heard more of her than I did. Hearing the clips of her played in tribute you can't help wondering why she wasn't 'up there' with Paul Merton in comedy stature. She should have been. However, I hope she realised the extent of her brilliant contribution to UK comedy.

Mike Sills
Linda you were just so naturally funny

Richard Bryce
So sad. A true comic genius.

Tim
I was shocked and saddened to hear of the premature death of Linda Smith. But in a way, I admire her even more now, knowing that most of the appearances and recordings I know her from date from after she was diagnosed with cancer. How generous and courageous to have carried on making us laugh. I eagerly await her 'Brief History of Timewasting' to be repeated.

Robin
Linda - so sad you've left us: You always made me smile inside and laugh out loud with your take on life. You asked why Caravanners who saw their bumbling caravans as a "home from home" don't spare us all the bother and just stay at home? Tee hee. Boo hoo.

Sheenagh Antonis-Hooijdonk
I am saddened and shocked. She was a national treasure and roundly deserved to win her award for wit in 2002. Thank you, Linda, for all those happy hours you have given me with your Timewasting...

david c
sadly missed god bless

Peter Fernandez
In a world where humanity is threatened by mindless beliefs of ordinary, decent but unthinking people, Linda was a free person in every sense of the word. To use a quote from Linda "the future is bright, the future is human".

Lex
I live in Australia and discovered Linda only about five years ago when I got a PC and started listening to Radio 4. She was the most consistently funny person I have ever heard. You knew she would always be good value, and she never disappointed. I only wish I'd seen her TV appearances, too. Thanks for making the world a bit better, Linda.

Claire
This tragic news came as an enormous shock to me and I'm very saddened. Linda will, I know, be missed in the world of comedy and it's such a shame we've lost yet another person to the evil of cancer.

Richard North
As a regular in the News Quiz audience you always knew that the show would be great when Linda was one of the panelists. She will be sadly missed.

Alex
comedy god

Tomas
Whenever people used to try and say women comedians weren't funny I would just point them to Linda Smith. She was a joy to listen to on radio for many years and will be greatly missed by me and many others.

Simon
I'm stunned at this tragic news. What a blow to comedy. The losss of Linda's effortless wit and timing and consistently funny, of-hand remarks will leave an unfillable void. You are missed Linda.

matt lee
Linda will be missed massively. She was one of those rare warm, approchable people in the business.

ian walters
Difficult to add anything new to the above- just heard the news on the radio - was genuinely shocked. Linda was a genuine wit- I`d have loved to have seen her perform instead of just hearing her on the radio, just to allay any rumour that clever editing rather than natural wit was her strength.

Jason Meister
America misses you Linda. Thank You

Jennifer Kettlewell
As one of Britain's funniest women, she really did bring warmth and a certain accssibility for everyone to panel shows - she was a great woman and will be sorely missed. We've lost a fantastically observational, witty, clever, comedy goddess this week; her death made all the more upsetting by her youth. We love you, Linda. God rest.

John
It is a sad day for Britian to lose one of its leading female comedians. She will be missed.

Simon Bernard
Two words describe Linda: Comedy Genius

jon peat
When this country seems to have a dearth of really funny people, what a tragedy to lose someone of Linda's calibre. To be able to be as funny as that so consistently was real talent. A lovely lovely lady.

Julian Head
She was the only guest on Have I Got News For You who could match Paul Merton's witty observations and sense of the absurd. I particulary liked the moment when she said to William Hague 'I know you who you are now, you are from that policital party from the olden days'.....priceless.

mark smith
I well remember hearing linda on just a minute, and am sad to hear of her passing yet another great comic talant taken from us, but at least we will have some great archive to remember her by

Anne Marie Callaghan
Linda Smith was one of the wittiest, sharpest and entertaining of comedians. I will miss her hilarious takes on many human situations and personal foibles. She is a loss.

Bergerac
I was really stunned and very sad to hear of Lindas death. She was a wonderful comedian and though I did not know her, I will miss her

Geoff Burnes
Linda Smith's comedic talents and the warmth of her personality brightened so many lives. It was always a delight to discover her appearing on QI, Mock the Week or Have I Got News, or on radio, which was such a perfect medium for her talents. I've never met anyone who didn't speak enthusiastically about her talents, so I was shocked by the news that her life and brilliant career had been cut short so tragically. She was a singular talent who will be greatly missed.

Gareth G Reading
Linda will be sadly missed. Her dry wit rarely failed to amuse both men and women. She will be impossible to replace.

ken
you will be sadly missed. i will laugh a little quieter from now on

jennifer
How sad, we can't afford to lose such a funny, lovely lady. She will be greatly missed.

Andrew
Such a sad loss. I was just wondering the other day why Linda hadn't been on lately and hoped she was working on a new show of her own. She was someone that when I heard she was on a panel show I got that "oh this'll be a good one" feeling. I'll also never forget her brilliant and hilarious takedown of Neil Kinnock on HIGNFY.

Stephen Johnson
Linda Smith was a brilliant comic with an off the cuff style that rivaled even the great Paul Merton. It is such a shame that more people didn't cotton on to her brilliance while she was still here. Hopefully BBC7 and Radio 4 will plan some form of tribute to a sorely underated comedienne.

Johan Herrenberg
This Dutch listener is really shocked at the news. I've been listening to Radio Four since 1984 and I thought Linda Smith one of the funniest women of her (and my) generation. When she was on air, her sharpness and originality really stuck out. British comedy has lost a treasure.

David Bloomfield
I just loved Linda Smith and her terrific way of delivering such clever, sharp and very funny observations. What a sad loss to British comedy. You absolutely knew a show was going to be funny if Linda was appearing ... God Bless her.