The tragic news has reached us that Dustin Diamond has passed away aged forty-four.
His cause of death has been confirmed. Here's what we know...
Tributes have come pouring in for the star...
Screech was one of the most iconic TV characters of the 1990s. Sad that Dustin died so soon.
— Frank Ojeda (@UCLADodgerFrank) February 1, 2021
R.I.P i grew up on save by the bell 😞
— Orlando Garcia (@Orlando90605533) February 1, 2021
oh that's fucking terrible
— Adam Robert Best (@AdamRobertBest) February 1, 2021
Very sorry to know that. Rip pic.twitter.com/7ElPx0NyeE
— • V.Lin • (@Verna_Lin) February 1, 2021
To me he will always be Screech#RestInPeace pic.twitter.com/e2JYkA7ik5
— pwguru (@pwguru65) February 1, 2021
RIP. Be thankful each day you're above ground. It could all come to a screeching halt.
— Local Hero (@HofSpillane) February 1, 2021
RIP Dustin. Gone far too soon. #SavedByTheBell #Screech
— Cody Jannetty (@cody_jannetty) February 1, 2021
May he Rest In Peace, so young !!! pic.twitter.com/5mrFmalSVb
— Karol Rod.😊😘 (@KarolRod2) February 1, 2021
Born in 1977, Dustin Diamond was a comedian, director, and actor.
And there's one role he's undeniably best known for...
Saved by the Bell first hit screens in 1989.
imdb
The teen comedy, which celebrated its thirtieth birthday last month, was set in the fictional Californian Bayside High and saw us introduced to Zack Morris and his high-schooler group that included A.C. Slater, Jessie Spano, Kelly Kapowski, “Screech" Powers, and Lisa Turtle.
The show was a huge hit...
imdb
And chronicled the friends as they navigated all things life-related, from relationships and finals to school dances and breakups, all while, more often than not, managing to ruffle the feathers their principal, Mr. Richard Belding, who does his best to keep the gang in check.
It definitely had one of the catchiest theme tunes...
As well as making for great viewing, there's no denying how good that theme tune was.
But, after 4 seasons, we waved the friends goodbye.
The show wrapped up in 1993, although it came to a complete end with Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas, a 2-hour movie where it finally happens...Kelly and Zack get hitched.
Unsurprisingly, the show made a return to screens in 2 spinoffs.
imdb
Any show with such profound success is bound to rinsed for all it's worth and Saved by the Bell was no exception to this. The first spinoff named Saved By the Bell: The College Years lasted for just 1 season from 1993 to 1994, and then a second, Saved by the Bell: The New Class, which ran from 1993 to 2000.There were many beloved characters on the show.
But the fan favorite was undeniably Screech.
The goofy sidekick was totally hilarious.
IMDB
And was played to perfection by actor, Dustin Diamond.
But today, fans of Diamond have received some devastating news...
After a recent hospitalisation, the actor has reportedly passed away.
A rep for Dustin told TMZ he died Monday morning.
SCREECH DUSTIN DIAMOND BUBBA YOU MAKE THE PEOPLE LAUGH AND HAPPY. RIP BROTHER pic.twitter.com/nOMJS9lTYE
— The Iron Sheik (@the_ironsheik) February 1, 2021
He was reportedly initially hospitalized in Florida in January after feeling pain all over his body and a general sense of feeling unwell.
Tragically, he was later diagnosed with cancer.
Dustin Diamond has died after battling cancer, @TMZ reports. He was 44 years old. pic.twitter.com/iFIyuelarT
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) February 1, 2021
Dustin's death comes just a couple weeks since completing his first round of chemo after he was diagnosed with stage 4 small cell carcinoma - most commonly known as lung cancer.