Who was Tony Knight and what happened to him? Australian comedian dies aged 54 in freak accident

Renowned comedian Tony Knight, 54, died on June 7, 2024. While speaking to Fox News, a family member revealed that he met with an accident at the Rock and Cars festival in Lavaur, France, where a tree branch reportedly fell on him.

Although the branch fell on top of a few other attendees, they managed to survive. Knight's family statement also read:

"He was fit, healthy, happy and had everything going for him. He was charismatic, funny, passionate and so very loved by [his partner] Hayley, his family and his friends all over the world."

A GoFundMe page has now been launched to help his partner, Hayley Wright, cover the expenses of his funeral and hospital bills. The page aims to collect $20,000 and donations worth $7,616 have been made until now.

Knight gained recognition over the years as a "dog listener" as he assisted people with pets to find solutions related to the behavior of animals. Moreover, he was active on Instagram with 411 followers where he shared posts related to his performances. The timeline also included photos that were clicked at the locations where he performed.

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GoFundMe page has been launched for Tony Knight to help his partner Hayley Wright

Social media platforms have been flooded with tributes ever since the news of Tony Knight's demise went viral. Meanwhile, his partner Hayley Wright's sister, Joanne Allen, has launched a GoFundMe page, where she recalled Knight's flawless work.

Joanne revealed that Tony and Hayley were together for around 15 years and had a different kind of attraction to dogs. Allen further stated:

"His passion was dogs and he helped people all over the world with his classes both in person, online, on radio and television, ebooks, and more. He was very well respected and admired. His method worked and he loved helping people with their dogs."

Joanne addressed Tony Knight's love for comedy, saying that his show titled Mad Dogs and an Englishman became popular globally. She wrote that Knight was residing in the family farm near Beaufort for around four years and was with his father when the latter was battling terminal cancer. Speaking of the accident, Allen wrote on the GoFundMe website:

"At the time of his accident, he was heading to his beloved Bouillac in the south of France where he has a home and friends waiting for his annual return. Hayley was to follow soon, as they did every year at this time. Tony had been in France only a few days before he lost his life attending a festival with his friend Pascall."

Joanne ended by writing that Hayley is currently at Bouillac, where she is working to arrange Tony's funeral. She is also paying for hospital bills, meeting the cops, doctors, and the mayor, and visiting the accident spot. Joanne requested everyone to help Hayley cover the costs and ended by writing:

"Tony, we will love and miss you forever. Life will not be the same but we will wrap our arms around your beloved Hayley."

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Tony Knight became a helping hand for many pet owners

As mentioned, Tony Knight was an expert in handling dogs. His website (tonyknightdoglistener.com) claimed that he helped many owners solve the behavioral issues of their pets without the use of force or any kind of drugs. He was supposed to start a lineup of shows in the UK before his death and his comedy set Mad Dogs and an Englishman was already popular among the public.

Back in September last year, Tony appeared for an interview with Bendigo Times, saying that his mother helped him to know more about canines. He recalled that during the Covid-19 pandemic, he decided to pursue his passion as a dog trainer and comedian at the same time.

"Whenever I was teaching dog behavior, I always wanted to make it so that it was fun to learn, because I think you remember things better when you enjoy the learning process."

He even spoke about the success of his shows in places such as the Melbourne Comedy Festival. He stated that he was satisfied since people were enjoying his show and continued:

"More importantly, they go home with a newfound understanding and respect for their dogs, they know how to start to solve particular problems they might have."

On the other hand, detailed information on Tony Knight's funeral and survivors is currently awaited.