Royle Family actor Ralf Little has broken us with his tribute to Caroline Aherne

Earlier today, it was announced that comedian and actress Caroline Aherne had passed away after a battle with cancer.

Terribly sad news this evening. https://t.co/Gt00GwUQdF

— Her.ie (@Herdotie) July 2, 2016

The 52-year-old was a comic genius and was loved by so many from her time as Denise in The Royal Family, Mrs. Merton on the chat show of the same name and of course, most recently, narrating Gogglebox. A number of celebrities took to Twitter to pay tribute but it's her co-star on The Royle Family, whose tribute really stands out.

? https://t.co/TDKPry6u6u — Her.ie (@Herdotie) July 2, 2016

It took him a little longer to find the right words but find them he did.

Sorry for silence - I just... don't know what to say. What a sad, sad day. We've lost another one of our best.

— Ralf Little (@RalfLittle) July 2, 2016

A character. A legend. A boss. A sister, real and (for me) fake. A boss. A writer. An actor. A genius. A friend. Big, big heart. Goodbye. X — Ralf Little (@RalfLittle) July 2, 2016

Thing is, amidst all sadness Caroline would now say something grounded, incisive, and hilarious. I can't think of anything, but she would.

— Ralf Little (@RalfLittle) July 2, 2016

"Dave eats like a pig and you never say owt to him." "That's asthma, thanks very much!" — Ralf Little (@RalfLittle) July 2, 2016

We're not crying, you're crying. Image via BBC