YouTube star Ben Potter, aka Comicstorian, dies in 'unfortunate accident' aged 40

The beloved YouTube star Ben Potter has reportedly died at the age of 40.

His wife Nathalie Potter shared the tragic news in a post on Twitter/X, writing that the comic book aficionado – known by his three million subscribers as Comicstorian – died as the result of an “unfortunate accident”.

In the heartbreaking message, which she posted to her late husband's account on Monday night (10 June), Nathalie said: "Two days ago, on June 8th, my husband, Ben Potter, passed away in an unfortunate accident."

"To many of you, he was Comicstorian, voicing stories from across multiple different mediums. To his loved ones, he was one of the best and most supportive individuals anyone could ask for."

She continued: "As a husband, a son, a brother, a friend, or even just a stranger, Ben was loving and genuine. He was someone who would listen and make time for his loved ones. He would do his best to make everyone laugh and make sure they were okay. He was our rock and he'd reassure his loved ones whenever they needed it."

Then, requesting time to mourn the man who was her “world” in private, she went on: “I need time to be with friends and family. I have so many things I need to figure out but firstly, I need to grieve.

"I ask that you respect my privacy as well as everyone else's. Right now my priority is preserving everything he's built and I don't have any plans beyond that."

Ben Potter was beloved by his friends, family and legions of fans(Getty Images)

She then vowed to maintain Ben’s legacy, noting that his YouTube channel was “one of his greatest accomplishments” and that he “wouldn't want it to end like this.”

Concluding the emotional statement, she added: “Ben spent over 10 years spreading his love and appreciation for his hobbies. It was through his love of exciting stories and well written characters that got him started on YouTube.

“The team and I want to keep that going. To honour him by continuing to tell great stories by great people, as well as to keep the memory of our very own superhero alive.

“We supported each other on everything we wanted to do and I'm not about to stop now.”

Nathalie’s post racked up more than 8.1 million views and 95,000 likes in the space of just eight hours as fans flocked to share their condolences.

Fellow YouTuber Paul Tweddle (a.k.a. Heavy Spoilers) tweeted: “Incredibly heart breaking, Comicstorian was an absolutely incredible YouTuber that pioneered so much and got so many people into reading comics. Devastating news. Rest in peace.”

Meanwhile, gaming expert Miller Ross wrote: “He did so much for so many. I am absolutely gutted to hear this. Rest in peace, Ben.

And a third commentator said: “I'm so incredibly sorry for your loss. I didn't know Benny long but from the short time we were friends I could tell he was a genuinely great person and individual.

“He was one of the best parts of the platform. Never shied away from showing how passionate he was about things he was genuinely interested in. I'm very thankful for the time I knew him.”

The precise circumstances of his death remain unconfirmed but one thing is for sure, his memory will live on in all who knew and followed him.

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