Barry Chuckle, one half of comedy duo The Chuckle Brothers, dies aged 73
Barry Elliot, who was better known by his stage name Barry Chuckle, has died at 73. He was one half of the beloved comedic duo The Chuckle Brothers, with the other half being his younger brother Paul. They were the stars of Chuckle Vision on the BBC between the years of 1987 and 2009, and were childhood heroes to many.
Paul confirmed his brother's death in a statement. "I've not just lost my brother, I've lost my theatrical partner of many, many years and my very best friend.”
Their manager Phil Dale said: "It is with great sadness that the family announce that Barry passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by his wife Ann and all his family. The family would like to express their thanks to the many people who have been fans of the Chuckle Brothers and they know that they will share in part the great, great loss they feel."
The brothers had returned to the small screen earlier this year with a new show, Chuckle Time, on Channel 5. The cause of Barry's death is currently unknown. But Barry had reportedly gotten very sick towards the end of the new show's filming and summer work was cancelled whilst he rested at his doctors request. Not long after this, unfortunately, his health deteriorated.
The family's statement added that the TV and theatre star "leaves 50 years of laughter as his legacy which is something very special."
Shortly after news of Barry's death was announced, his name began trending on Twitter with fans of the entertainer paying tributes.