Beloved ITV icon Freddie Starr died 'penniless' with a stranger paying for his funeral. The UK comedy legend passed away on this day in 2019 after suffering a heart attack in Spain, with his former carer revealing that his family had not been in touch for years.
Freddie Starr's Final Days
Freddie was once among the highest-paid stars on television, but at the time of his death at age 76, he was living in a modest one-bedroom flat on Spain's Costa del Sol and reportedly on the verge of being made homeless. Concerns grew that he would be left with a pauper's funeral in Spain, a far cry from his wish to be laid to rest on British soil.
Carer's Concerns
His Bulgarian carer Nelly Georgieva, who discovered his body, said she had no contact with his family for years. Speaking at the time, she stated: 'Freddie had bad feelings about back home, he felt the British people had deserted him. It would be terrible if Freddie ends up being buried in a pauper's grave.' Starr left behind six children, three former spouses, and a widow, with only outstanding debts and no funeral arrangements.
Stranger Steps In
When no one came forward to cover costs, Sheffield-based funeral director Michael Fogg, who had never met Freddie, generously took on the expense of bringing him home and arranging his funeral. Michael explained: 'Anyone who can make a funeral director laugh must be a bloody good comedian. And Freddie Starr could make me laugh. He shouldn't be buried in foreign land, he should be brought back to be in his own country.'
Freddie's Legacy
Freddie burst onto the comedy scene after performing on the 1970 Royal Variety Performance watched by millions. In the 70s and 80s, he was among the highest-paid stars on television alongside other working-class comics. He experienced a minor revival starring in the eleventh series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in 2011 but withdrew after three days due to a severe allergic reaction. He married five times and had six children.
