Sunderland comedian Mark Rough dies after battle with cancer

Sunderland comedian Mark Rough has died after a battle with cancer.

Rough, who called himself the Mackem Motormouth, had been undergoing intensive chemotherapy for the past month at a hospital in Leeds.

Friend Jill Bell broke the news of his death on Facebook, writing: “It is with great sadness I have to tell you that my old pal Mark Rough passed away at tea time.

“I was supposed to see him again at the beginning of the week but crashed my car so couldn’t get there.

“He laughed and took the piss as he always did, and told me not to worry, that he could wait until later this week…”

Comedians also paid tribute to Rough on social media.

Adrian Poynton said: “Sad news about Mark Rough. Performed with him on many an upturned beer crate in some spectacularly dodgy pubs. He always made it fun. RIP.”

Toby Foster posted: “Mark Rough was a lot of things. Most of them crackers. It’s sad that he’s gone.”

And fellow North East comedian Tony Jameson tweeted: “Very sad news about Mark Rough. Thoughts are with his family at this time RIP.”

Rough first performed stand-up in 2008, taking inspiration from the likes of Bobby Thompson and Frank Skinner.

In a 2010 interview with Giggle Beats, Rough said: “I saw Frank Skinner and thought to myself that I didn’t have to be Oxbridge educated, I could actually write about what I am, a white working class Mackem.”

However Rough, who grew up on Wearside before eventually moving to Bradford, came to notoriety in 2000 after falsely selling tickets for a Bob Monkhouse show that never took place.

Rough disappeared with the money and, after handing himself in, was convicted of fraud and ordered to repay the £2000 he’d stolen.

In a frank interview with Giggle Beats, Rough was determined to put the record straight and issued an apology to those affected by the incident.

He said: “I’m not going to be arrogant and blasé about the whole thing or try and justify it. What I did affected many people’s lives and I’m deeply ashamed.

“I’ve no defence – I was a wanker and almost killed live comedy in Sunderland. I’ve paid every penny back and have used my Roman Catholic faith to help me become a better person and to never visit those greedy thoughts again.”

Rough used the last thirteen years of his life trying to repair his reputation, and, in recent years, was determined to help young up-and-coming comics and promoters.

“I’m answerable only to my God,” he said, “but I think I’m doing things right.”

RIP Mark Rough.