Author Kathy Lette pays heartfelt tribute to Barry Humphries on The Project

Kathy Lette paid a heartfelt tribute to her late boyfriend Barry Humphries on Sunday by labeling him as the greatest comedian since Charlie Chaplin.

The author and comedian, 64, appeared on Channel Ten’s The Project to discuss Barry’s legacy and said the world will never see a comedian of his stature again.

He left us with an incredible smile. We will never see his kind again. To me, he’s the most brilliant comedian since Charlie Chaplin,” she told host Sarah Harris.

“Try to think of someone who has been more successful and hilarious. His whole condition was to be hilarious,” she added.

Kathy further revealed that she had visited Barry in hospital shortly before his death and said the venue erupted in laughter.

Barry had no self-pity. When you visited him his only concern was to make you and the nurses laugh, he made a joke about the Grim Reaper there.”

Humphries, who died Saturday at age 89 from complications following hip surgery, was known for creating several iconic characters, including Dame Edna Everage and Les Patterson.

The comedian died at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney surrounded by his close family, including his wife of 30 years, Lizzie Spender.

For weeks, the comic had dismissed concerns about the seriousness of his condition, but before noon on Saturday, a spokesperson confirmed he had died.

Humphries tripped over a rug while reaching for a book in February and underwent surgery at St Vincent’s, where he was readmitted this week.

“He was completely himself to the end and never lost his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity,” his family said in a statement.

Dame Edna Everage remains Humphries’ most recognizable invention, becoming internationally recognizable over the decades.

The beloved character began life as a housewife in Melbourne in the 1950s and was known for his lilac permed hair, outlandish cat-eye glasses and gaudy dresses.