Guernsey Press

Vintage comedy greats join family and fans at Barry Chuckle’s funeral

The entertainer’s funeral was held at his favourite football ground.

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Paul Chuckle carried his brother Barry’s coffin as close friends and family attended the funeral of the veteran entertainer in their Rotherham home town.

Rotherham United and Chuckle Brothers fans also lined the streets outside the New York Stadium in the Yorkshire town to pay their respects to the 73-year-old, whose real name was Barry Elliott.

The ground is the home of Rotherham United football club, of which Barry and Paul were honorary life presidents.

The hearse arrived outside the main reception of the stadium at around 1.15pm on Friday.

A wreath was laid just outside the entrance as mourners made their way inside.

Barry Chuckle funeral
The cortege carrying the coffin of Barry Chuckle (Danny Lawson/PA)

Barry Elliott found fame alongside his brother Paul as one half of the Chuckle Brothers in BBC comedy show ChuckleVision, which ran for 21 series from 1987 to 2009.

Members of the public, who mainly turned out in Rotherham United shirts, watched on as some of Mr Elliot’s close friends and family made their way inside for a private service.

Roy Chubby Brown
Comedian Roy Chubby Brown attended (Danny Lawson/PA)

She said: “I’d also like to watch him go because he has been such a big thing for Rotherham and everywhere by making people happy.

“I’ve got three generations which have grown up with them. So one by one, they’ve all watched them. So I’ve been involved anyway, whether I wanted to watch them or not.”

Ms Garston made a sign to bring to the stadium, which read: “To a Yorkshire lad from a Yorkshire lass, goodbye from me to you.”

A young Chuckle Brothers “megafan” travelled all the way from Birmingham to pay his respects to Barry Chuckle.

Barry Chuckle funeral
Members of the public outside New York Stadium in Rotherham (Danny Lawson/PA)

“I just love their episodes and every morning I’m watching their episodes of Chucklevision, and it has never gotten old.

“Everybody loves them. They’ve got a really good comedy, they’re funny and they just made people laugh.”

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