Bobby Davro has led tributes to the late Freddie Starr.
The 60-year-old comedian says the entertainer, who was found dead at his home in the Costa Del Sol, Spain, on Thursday (09.05.19) aged 76, was the "funniest man [he] had ever seen", and praised him as one of Britain’s "greatest comedy talents".
He wrote on Twitter: "I’ve just heard that Freddie Starr has died.
He was the funniest man I have ever seen.
I’m so sad we have lost one of our greatest comedy talents. RIP Freddie. (sic)"
Fellow comedian Jim Davidson also paid tribute to Freddie, who had a history of heart problems and asthma, describing him as "the greatest".
He tweeted: "Just heard the news. Freddie Starr was the greatest."
Amanda Holden admitted that while his style may have "fallen out of comedy fashion and favour", people should still recognise his "once huge popularity and fame".
The ‘Britain’s’ Got Talent’ judge wrote: "Sad to hear of Freddie Starr passing today.His style may have fallen out of comedy fashion & favour-but it’s important to recognise his once huge popularity& fame.The outrageous & edgy parody’s were infamous.I hope his legacy is not smalled down and he’s remembered with a smile (sic)"
Businessman Lord Alan Sugar also found Freddie to be "very funny".
The ‘Apprentice’ star wrote: "According to some news reports Freddie Star has died in Spain . If true sad news, he was a very funny man RIP (sic)"
TV presenter Anne Diamond tweeted: "So sad – Freddie Starr. An incredible and unique talent. I remember being in a tv green room with him at Elstree studios and became exhausted with laughter at his repartee. Always difficult and awkward to interview but always worth it! Loved him. (sic)"
Following his death, a neighbour claimed he "hadn’t looked well for some time".
They said: "Freddie hadn’t looked well for some time and rarely ventured out. Whenever he appeared recently his head would be down and he’d be smoking."
The comedian rose to fame in the early 1970s after appearing on TV show ‘Opportunity Knocks’ and the Royal Variety Performance, and went on to star in a number of his own shows including ‘The Freddie Starr Show’ and ‘An Audience with Freddie Starr’.
He also presented the game show ‘Beat The Crusher’ and appeared on ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!’ in 2011 – just a year after recovering from quadruple bypass surgery following a heart attack – but he was forced to leave the jungle early following a suspected allergic reaction.
What’s more, he was known for one of the most memorable newspaper headlines of all time, ‘Freddie Starr ate my hamster’, which appeared on The Sun’s front page in 1986.
The story had claimed he had put a hamster between two slices of bread and eaten the rodent, but in his autobiography he denied the incident had taken place.
Bobby Davro leads Freddie Starr tributes
