Beloved comedian Freddie Starr, who rose to fame in the 1970s for his hysterical stand-up, died aged 76 on May 9, 2019.
The Merseyside native first rose to fame in the 1960s when he became the lead singer of the hit rock and roll group the Midniters.
But the star truly turned his life around 10 years later when he soared to stardom after appearing on Opportunity Knocks where he impersonated everyone from Adolf Hitler to Mick Jagger in front of the Royal Family.
He quickly became a national treasure for his wacky, wild, and unpredictable behaviour and became one of the biggest stars of the 70s, 80s, and 90s.
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In 2011, the blond hunk appeared on I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here in 2011 just one year after he recovered from a quadruple heart bypass.
But the star was forced to leave the jungle due to ill health which sent him spiralling with the Freddie leaving his life of showbiz behind after a comeback bid flopped.
Final years
(Image: Getty Images)
Fans of the entertainer will remember Freddie’s life was thrown into darkness after he was hammered with a £960,000 legal bill after he defended historical sex abuse charges.
The performer was forced to sell his £700,000 UK home and officially moved to Spain in 2015, despite never being charged for claims that he put his hand up a girl’s skirt back in 1974.
The chain-smoker quickly became a shadow of his former self as he lived out his final years in a teeny one-bedroom flat.
(Image: Getty Images)
One of Starr’s last performances before his death was when he pushed himself to paint the town red with his close friends and family at a bar in Fuengirola.
Videos soon emerged of the entertainer performing a bumbling Elvis Presley impression while singing karaoke.
It’s fair to say the star looked worlds away from his signature punk rock look in the 90s, with the funnyman now sporting a pop belly in a T-shirt and shorts as he belted out hits with locals at the bar.
(Image: Daily Mirror)
The footage quickly surfaced on Facebook much to his horror which saw the star retreat from society where he lived out the rest of his days in his home in Spain.
At the time, a pal close to the star explained: “He was mortified when that footage got out and realised how far he’d fallen. He wasn’t his old self after that.”
His neighbour added: “It was such a sad end from someone who’d been loved by millions.”
Carer shock
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Freddie was found in his home in Spain in May when he was discovered by his live-in carer of four years, Nelly.
The entertainer, who has a history of asthma in addition to a series of heart problems, was found slumped on the floor by the sofa of his Costa Del Sol apartment, with some claiming the singer had a heart attack after he returned from a quick shopping trip.
A post-mortem was carried out by the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Malaga where they confirmed he died of a heart attack.
Police sources said at the time that there was nothing suspicious about his death, with everything pointing towards natural causes following the discovery of the heavy smoker’s body.
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The long-term carer explained at the time that the performer seemed perfectly fine before she popped out to the shops for 30 minutes when she came home to find his body unresponsive.
Speaking to The Sun, Nelly recalled: “I went to the supermarket for maybe 30 minutes and came back he was dead. He was fine before. He had many problems, but I never knew he was bad.
“He was watching TV, he never said he wasn’t OK or he wasn’t feeling well. He was playing with his cat, nothing was bothering him.”
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The carer, who hails from Bulgaria, said she didn’t realise he was famous until after they met for coffee.
She went on: “One time we went for a coffee and people kept asking for photos. I had no idea why, I assumed they were friends.
“Then one day he showed me his impressions of Mick Jagger and Roy Orbison and I realised. These were not friends, they were fans.”
Haunting final post
(Image: SWNS)
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Just eight days before his untimely death, Freddie took to Facebook to thank his loyal legion of fans for their continued support over the years, writing: “I’m ok getting more tired now but otherwise I’m doing good.
“I just have to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the kind comments and messages it really does mean a lot so thank you to each and every one of you. Thanks so much. Freddie.”
Alongside the heartfelt post, he shared a wacky snap of himself with cigarettes stuck in his mouth, nose and ears.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
