When news broke here in Australia of Barry Humphries' death, his widespread appeal was incredibly clear.
I was at a Sydney party with a group of people spanning multiple ages and cultures, and everyone reacted with sadness to the news.
It didn't take long before people were trading their favourite stories involving the dodgy attaché Sir Les Patterson or, most memorably, Dame Edna Everage.
Humphries is credited with putting Australian comedy on the world stage and is often labelled as the country's most successful solo entertainer.
A quick read of his biography will affirm that too.
Among his multiple awards, the actor took home a Tony Award in 2000 for his Broadway hit Dame Edna: The Royal Tour.
Until recently, he'd been touring Britain with his one-man show The Man Behind the Mask.
In the last two years, the likes of Shane Warne and Dame Olivia Newton-John have had significant farewells to give the public the opportunity to look back on their incredible legacies.
It's now highly likely we'll see Australia hold some form of memorial service too, as more and more prominent figures pay tribute.
Humphries has said himself he's "always been a provocateur".
There was an infamous incident in 1979 when Humphries hijacked the live-to-air Adelaide TV show A Touch of Elegance, where he openly swore and pretended to be drunk as his character Sir Les.
According to Australian entertainment reporter Peter Ford, it's legend that the episode caused such a stir it resulted in Humphries being banned from live television in South Australia for ten years.
While Dame Edna was known for the odd quip here and there too, her creator was no stranger to controversy when the winged glasses and the wig came off.
In a 2016 interview with the Telegraph, Humphries described Caitlyn Jenner and those who undergo gender affirmation surgery as "a mutilated man".
Humphries further caused a stir in 2019 when he appeared to double down on the comments, describing transgenderism as "a fashion".
The controversy saw the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, which Humphries had helped launch, strip his name from a major prize which had been known as "the Barry Award".
For most, processing the news of his death and his incredible contribution to the entertainment industry will be what's remembered.
However, for some, it'll be hard to ignore his hurtful comments too.
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