A “genius” inventor who delighted half-a-million fans on YouTube filmed one last clip and scheduled it to go live the day after he took his own life. Dr Robert Murray-Smith, 62, said in the clip it would be his last, telling his subscribers that he wanted to “call it adieu while we're all really happy”.

His brother, Dave Smith, later shared an update confirming he had died by suicide. He said Dr Murray-Smith, from Herne Bay, had struggled with the loss of his wife, Patti, two years ago, and his health had recently declined. The YouTuber’s channel featured videos about hundreds of gadgets and tools he had made, teaching his subscribers how to make them themselves.

These included DIY off-grid batteries, furnaces, centrifuges and diamagnetic graphite - a form of carbon known for its strong repulsion from magnetic fields. Dr Murray-Smith, who previously ran businesses in Canterbury, said the channel - called Thinking and Tinkering - aimed to empower people to be able to do things themselves.

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In a clip titled ‘My Last Video’ and posted on September 26, he told fans it would be his final one, saying they had become “a little repetitious and, well, boring to be honest”. He continued: “Although I think the channel is doing rather well, it's one of those things to finish on a high.

“At those difficult times in my life, when people here have actually been tremendously and genuinely supportive, I want to thank everybody. I want to thank you very much for being subscribed, very much for watching, and very much for being members.

“Of course, the videos will stay up; they're just going to be there as reference material, probably forever, but it is time now to stop making new videos. I do wish you all the very best, and please do remember me every now and then and let's call it adieu while we're all really happy. Thank you again.”

Before his brother shared news of his death, followers expressed their sadness and their gratitude. One wrote: “God bless you, Robert! Not for your channel, but for who you are. Your spirit shines bright.

“Thanks for making the world and YouTube a better place. You're a rare and precious gem.”

Another said: “The end of an era! What a joy it has been learning so much from such a brilliant man. You’ve touched the lives of millions, and that’s an awesome feat. All good things come to an end, and it’s best to appreciate all that was than to bemoan what could still be.”

His library of more than 2,500 videos have been watched almost 80million times.

His brother began a subsequent video on October 7 - titled RIP Robert Murray-Smith (1963 - 2025) - by introducing himself and referencing the goodbye message. “I'm very sad to report that Robert died the day before that video,” he said.

“I think he had many reasons. I think you probably know perfectly well that he did not take the death of his wife very well. Patti died about a year and a half ago, and he found her absence a real struggle. In addition to that, in recent times, his health was failing him.”

Mr Smith explained that his brother was struggling to walk due to pain, which “contributed massively to what was already a depression”.

He also told how his family had tried to speak with Dr Murray-Smith about his mental health in the past. He explained: “If ever you ask Robert how he's feeling, (he would say) ‘I'm fine. Everything's fine’. Of course, we recognise the need to push against that when people are in Robert's position.

“But as soon as you did, he would get quite passive-aggressive. It was very, very difficult to speak with Robert. You saw his videos - you wouldn't realise that there was misery underneath all that, because his mask was very, very well tuned for all of us.”

He said he was certain his “vibrant” brother would have wanted his followers to know, adding: “The community on his YouTube channel was profoundly important to Robert. He was with you all for about 11 years, I believe, so I am convinced that he would want you to know what happened.”

Following Dr Murray-Smith’s death, his brother revealed that to memorialise him, his family are fundraising for the charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). He explained: “Men typically find it next to impossible to talk about their feelings, particularly when life isn't going quite as well as we might want, and Robert certainly fell into that category.

“We chose this particular charity because we are pretty certain that in the year and a half since Patti died, Robert was living miserably. Once again, I'm deeply, deeply sorry to have to be the bearer of such sad news.”

Mr Smith said he would be making a compilation video in the near future of some of his brother’s best videos. The clip revealing his death has been viewed by 203,000 people. Mr Smith ended it by saying: “I'd like to thank you all for the support that you gave Rob over his 11 years, and let me tell you, he appreciated it enormously.

“I'm getting quite emotional now, so I'm going to end the video there.”

Thousands of commenters flocked to share condolences and messages. One even said Dr Murray-Smith had saved their life, revealing how when he was homeless he had made heaters based on his online tutorials.

Among the many messages, one read: “Robert was a genuine genius and cared for the world. He sparked many great ideas.”

Another added: “This has knocked me for six. Robert was an absolute inspiration to us all. In a world full of horrible people, be a Robert Murray-Smith.”

THE SAMARITANS ARE CONTACTABLE 24 HOURS A DAY ON 116 123, OR BY EMAIL AT JO@SAMARITANS.ORG. YOU CAN ALSO CONTACT THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST LIVING MISERABLY (CALM) ON 0800 585858, OR USE THE WEBCHAT AT THECALMZONE.NET FROM 5PM TO MIDNIGHT EVERY DAY.