Ryan Tubridy says he was “flabbergasted” by Jeffrey Archer’s death

Irish broadcaster Ryan Tubridy said he was “flabbergasted” to learn of the sudden death of bestselling author and former Conservative politician Jeffrey Archer.

HarperCollins confirmed that Archer, 86, died “suddenly and peacefully at home” in Wiltshire. Over a five‑decade writing career he sold more than 300 million books.

Before becoming an author, Archer served as the Conservative MP for Louth in Lincolnshire from 1969 to 1974, was later appointed to the House of Lords and stood as the Tory candidate for Mayor of London in 1999. He was convicted of perjury in 2001 and served four years in prison, after which his political career ended but his literary output continued.

On The Claire Byrne Show, Tubridy recounted that he had been due to host an event with Archer the previous evening. A HarperCollins staff member informed him of the news, and attendees were alerted within an hour to cancel their plans. Tubridy said he then packed his bag and travelled home by tube.

While Tubridy and Archer were not friends, he remarked that Archer might have “approved of the drama” of his sudden death, noting the author’s varied ambitions and his reputation as a “controversial, storied, difficult life.”

Source: Newstalk. Photo: Karolina Grabowska www.kaboompics.com / Pexels.