Beloved BBC chef Clarissa Dickson Wright died with just £9,000 in her bank account, owing £17,000 to HM Revenue and Customs, but an auction of her possessions raised about £40,000, leaving her estate solvent.
Possessions auctioned to settle debts
The Two Fat Ladies star, who died in March 2014 aged 66, had squandered a £2.8 million inheritance during years of heavy drinking. Her cherished mementos were sold at auction, raising approximately £40,000, and her goddaughter Sara Wain-Heapy received £33,000.
Devoted fans bought 400 lots from her collection, including a drawing by her artist friend Joseph Oppenheimer, which fetched £300. Other items included a gun-cleaning kit for £50, Victorian-era kitchen gadgets for £30, and a tartan piggy bank for £20. The sale was overseen by Thomson, Roddick and Medcalf of Carlisle.
Friend: 'She wanted to be in the black'
Close friend and legal adviser Derek Morris said: "She was very anxious that she wanted to be in the black when she died. We did quite well in the sale, which meant she was solvent. It's what she wanted." He added: "It has been well documented that she had problems with money during her life. She had high earnings from her broadcasting and books but she was also very generous to people."
From youngest barrister to TV chef
At 21, Clarissa became Britain's youngest barrister before turning to cooking. After inheriting £2.8 million from her mother in 1975, she spent it all within 12 years, battled alcoholism, and was declared bankrupt three times. She later overcame her addiction and remained sober for 27 years.
In 1996, she teamed up with Jennifer Paterson for the BBC2 programme Two Fat Ladies, travelling the country on a motorcycle and sidecar. They filmed four series before Paterson died of lung cancer in 1999 at 71. Clarissa later said she was dropped by the BBC after her pro-hunting views angered then-prime minister Tony Blair.
