Joseph Debono, whose ‘James Bondin’ character on Xarabank made him a household name among local audiences, has passed away after suffering from the progressive neurodegenerative disease ALS.

The Valletta-raised Mr Debono was an actor, writer and comedian who rose to local prominence in the 1980s through his involvement in shows like Aħn’aħna jew maħniex.

During the 1990s he became one of Malta’s most well-known media personalities through his comedic portrayal of ‘James Bondin’ on Malta’s long-running top TV show Xarabank, amusing audiences and providing moments of levity during the sometimes heavy Friday night talk show.

Just last week, Mr Debono was awarded the Nazzareno Vassallo Award by CareMalta for his work to improve the lives of elderly people.

After being diagnosed with the disease in early 2020, Mr Debono finished a book he had been writing, Iz-Ziju Manwel, and spent much of the duration of the pandemic reading to senior citizens confined to residential care homes.

His death was announced by Mr Debono’s brother Louis on Facebook.

“He leaves behind a lot of love, kindness and smiles,” his brother wrote. “But today is not an easy day.”

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare neurological disease that primarily affects the nerve cells (neurons) responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movement.

In an interview with Times of Malta published just last week, Mr Debono admitted that he found it hard to cope with the sense of loss of control that his deteriorating condition had left him with.

“The feeling of helplessness is very heavy. What comforts me is the fact that I enjoyed life while I could, which I would recommend to everybody.”

Tributes for Mr Debono and the joy he brought many have been flooding social media.

The Content House Team extends its condolences to the Debono family.