The Heartbreaking Death Of So Awkward Star Archie Lyndhurst

It's always sad to hear of the passing of someone we've welcomed into our homes, if only via the TV screen But when that person is only 19 years old — well, it triggers not only sorrow, but anger, as well. What kind of horribly unfair universe is this where someone only gets such a short time to live?

Tragically, young people die each and every day, and it's never fair. Each one of these deaths is every bit as unjust and as heart-breaking as that of teenaged Archie Lyndhurst, the So Awkward star whose death CBBC announced yesterday on Twitter. The familiarity we feel from essentially seeing this young man grow up right before our eyes during the years he spent playing Ollie Coulton on the popular coming-of-age comedy makes his loss feel especially painful in a year when so much sadness abounds.

According to CBBC's tweet, Lyndhurst passed away "after a short illness," although no further details were provided. Archie's father Nicholas, star of the British TV show Only Fools and Horses, issued a statement (via BBC) that he and his wife were "utterly grief stricken and respectfully request privacy." Friends and So Awkward co-stars, however, have been pouring out their sorrow on social media with teary tributes to their fallen friend.

Samuel Small, who plays Rob Edwards on the show, had this to say on Instagram: "Love you from now until infinity. Rest in power bro...Archie's my best friend and to say goodbye so soon is absolutely devastating, but his calling was obviously somewhere else and I hope he is brightening up wherever he is." Sophia Dall'aglio, who plays Martha Fitzgerald, called Lyndhurst " the light in the room, even on a bad day, [who] brought all of us together," while Channel X North, the company which makes So Awkward, described him as "a generous, kind-hearted young man" as well as "an incredibly talented performer [whose] contribution to So Awkward, on and off-screen, will not be forgotten" (via BBC).

Mindful of So Awkward's younger audience members, CBBC included a message in their tweet that we'd all do well to heed, no matter how old we are: "Remember, it's ok to feel upset and shocked. Your feelings are valid. Don't bottle up your worries; talk to someone about how you feel."