A heartfelt Channel 5 tribute to Barry Chuckle left viewers in tears today as he was seen on TV for the first time since his death at the age of 73 this weekend.
Barry and his younger brother Paul, who formed the Chuckle Brothers together for more than 50 years, were working on Chuckle Time with the Chuckle Brothers on Channel 5 before he died.
Before the programme aired this evening, Channel 5 made a statement dedicating it to the comedian.
They said: "Chuckle Time and a tribute to Barry Chuckle, who sadly passed away today. Thank you for all the smiles, our thoughts are with his family and friends."
Fans took to Twitter in tears as they watched Barry on TV for the first time since his death.
One tweeted: "After today’s news, watching #ChuckleTime has much more added emotion. But still making me laugh like they did right through my childhood. #RIPBarryChuckle."
While another commented: "Awwww great tribute from @channel5_tv before #chuckletime."
A third remarked: "Watching #ChuckleTime @channel5_tv with the legends @barry_chuckle & @paul_chuckle #RIPBarryChuckle #ChildhoodLegend A sad loss."
"Seeing #BarryChuckle in #ChuckleTime is sad, but he has managed to raise the first smile on my face all day since hearing the sad news," another wrote.
The 12-episode show first aired in June and is set to run throughout the summer.
Details about Barry’s failing health emerged hours after the tragic news broke of his death.
Barry became ill towards the end of filming and took the decision to cancel his upcoming work commitments after taking medical advice.
It wasn’t long before his health deteriorated.
Barry was too ill to attend his older brother Jimmy Elliott’s wedding back in 2017.
Neither he nor Paul, 70, attended the big day, when Jimmy married 26-year-old ChuckleVision fan Amy Phillips despite them sharing a 59-year age gap.
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Amy’s mum said at the time: "Supposedly Barry was ill, that’s all I know."
Barry and Paul’s manager Phil Dale confirmed the tragic news in a statement on Sunday morning.
He didn’t go into detail about Barry’s cause of death, but did reveal the star was surrounded by his wife Ann and their family when he died at home, suggesting his loved ones knew he was gravely ill.
"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," said Phil.
"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.
"There will be no further comment at the moment and it would be much appreciated if the privacy of Barry’s family is respected at this most difficult time."
Barry, he added, "leaves 50 years of laughter as his legacy which is something very special".
And Paul shared an emotional statement of his own, saying: "I’ve not just lost my brother, I’ve lost my theatrical partner of many, many years and my very best friend."
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