ONE of television's fab four has gone.

There was Basil, Polly, Sybil - and much put-upon Manuel, who has finally checked out of the world famous Fawlty Towers hotel.

Wirral Globe:

Picture: PA

Andrew Sachs - famous for his role as the bungling Spanish waiter in the hugely popular TV series - has died at the age of 86 following a four-year battle with dementia.

Andreas Siegfried Sachs was born in Berlin on April 7, 1930.

When he was eight, his family moved to England to escape the Nazi persecution of Jews.

He shot to fame in his role of Manuel in the comedy series which ran from 1975 to 1979.

It was a part in which he was constantly being bullied and harangued by the hotel proprietor played by John Cleese.

I met Andrew on numerous occasions and enjoyed watching him at work and later when interviewing him.

Post-Fawlty Towers he toured in a version of Willy Russell's Educating Rita playing world-weary Open University teacher Frank opposite Letter to Brezhnev star Alexandra Pigg.

At the after-show opening night at Liverpool's Neptune Theatre he was engaging and delightful company telling me how much he loved Merseyside.

I felt then that he was much closer to Frank in real life than mustachioed Manuel. Andrew did not suffer fools gladly.

Years later he was the voice-over for the fly-on-the wall documentary series Hotel about the Liverpool Adelphi.

But he did not want to talk about Manuel - despite the obvious links.

Eventually he mellowed and told me about Barcelona - fictitious Manuel's birthplace.

He also told me that he would have preferred to have made Manuel a German. He was born in Berlin and later presented a series on that city.

Andrew said he was proud of his "small part" in the Fawlty Towers success - modesty came easily to him.

He was genuinely interested in me and my career and talked about his experiences in theatre from Shakespeare to soap operas.

He spoke with great love for his wife Melody, who was with him to the end and said he loved life and laughter.

This softly-spoken, articulate and deep-thinking actor was wounded when Russell Brand left a lewd prank message on his answer-machine in 2008.

A cheap broadcast stunt on BBC Radio which became known as "Sachsgate."

Media and fans were universally appalled at the treatment of a much-loved family man and private figure.

The affair resulted in Brand and the controller of Radio 2 resigning and a review was held into the way BBC output was vetted.

Wirral Globe:

John Cleese paid tribute to 'sweet, gentle and kind' Andrew Sachs

Andrew's legacy is vast and his repertoire spread far beyond the iconic comic figure Manuel, including playing roles such as Dr Watson in a Sherlock Holmes series and Jeeves in PG Wodehouse’s The Code Of The Woosters, both of them radio adaptations.

Cleese always respected his talent, saying working with him was like "playing tennis with an equal." 

After his friend's passing, he tweeted: “A very sweet gentle and kind man and a truly great farceur. I first saw him in Habeas Corpus on stage in 1973. I could not have found a better Manuel. Inspired.”

The last time I met Andrew I asked if he had enjoyed seeing a figure of himself in Madame Tussaud's.

''It's not me in there - it's Manuel," he said with a laugh and a gentle smile.

Adios Manuel.

Farewell Andrew.