Dame Edna "got the last laugh" after she wrote an obituary for Barry Humphries following his death at the age of 89.
The Dame Edna Everage star died on Saturday (22 April) evening in Sydney at the St Vincent's hospital after he was rushed to hospital in a serious condition over complications from hip replacement surgery.
Tributes poured in to the much-loved comedian, as well as one from his on stage character Dame Edna.
In a poignant yet hilarious message, the obituary for Barry from Dame Edna read: "Barry Humphries was an unknown aspiring actor and would-be comedian when I first met him in the early 1950s.
"It is true that he put me on stage for the first time in December 1955, but it was in order to belittle me and get cheap laughs at my expense and ridicule the great Australian way of life."
She continued: "How the tables were turned! I became the star and he merely a footnote to my spectacular career.
"His tragedy was his desire to be an artist and we know what happens to failed artists - Hitler, for example - they either become interior decorators or mass murderers.
"Barry was spared this fate. He became rich due to my efforts and signed me up to a contract that bound me for life."
Dame Edna added: "He had a lovely family and my heart goes out to them as well as to his unfortunate wives and numerous stage-struck research assistants.
"If these words seem uncharitable in the context of an obituary, I am fortunate that The Daily Telegraph, unsurprisingly, was eager to publish them."
The obituary was met with praise from fans, who called the late star a "genius".
One fan wrote: "Cheeky and brilliant, and very well organised," whilst another added: "Polite, yet brutal."
"I always knew she would get the last laugh," commented a third.
Someone else said: "Extraordinary, in all personas," a fan also gushed: "Amazing, brilliant, genius. Wouldn't expect anything less as he never under delivered."
Another quipped: "Lol that’s just perfection."
Barry was best known for writing and portraying his on-stage characters Dame Edna and Sir Les – with Dame Edna appearing on Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie, Loose Women, The One Show, The Graham Norton Show and has also appeared on TV shows and stages across the world.
Dame Edna, who was invented by Barry in the 1950s as a party turn, even penned an autobiography titled My Gorgeous Life, which documented Dame Edna's backstory.
Following his death, a statement from the Humphries family said: "He was completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit.
"With over 70 years on the stage, he was an entertainer to his core, touring up until the last year of his life and planning more shows that will sadly never be.
"His audiences were precious to him, and he never took them for granted. Although he may be best remembered for his work in theatre, he was a painter, author, poet, and a collector and lover of art in all its forms.
"He was also a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, and a friend and confidant to many. His passing leaves a void in so many lives.
"The characters he created, which brought laughter to millions, will live on."
