Freddie Starr, once one of the UK's most recognisable comedians, died penniless in 2019, and a kind stranger stepped in to cover the costs of his funeral.
Career and Later Life
Starr was the lead singer of the Midniters in the 1960s and became a household name after appearing on Opportunity Knocks and the Royal Variety Performance. He had his own self-titled TV shows throughout the 90s, as well as two episodes of An Audience With... in 1996 and 1997. He also hosted the game show Beat The Crusher.
In his 2001 autobiography Unwrapped, Starr said that his speech problems were the reason he spent two years away from home as a child. He was known for his impressions of famous figures including Cliff Richard, Tom Jones and Mick Jagger.
Legal Issues and Death
In November 2012, as part of Operation Yewtree, Starr was arrested in connection with the Jimmy Savile sexual abuse scandal and was arrested on three subsequent occasions without any connections to Savile. He denied the allegations. In May 2014, it was reported that the Crown Prosecution Service were not bringing charges against him due to "insufficient evidence".
When he died, Starr was living in a one-bed townhouse on Spain's Costa Del Sol, reportedly on the brink of homelessness. His carer discovered his body and said she had not heard from his family in years. At the time she said: "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. I don’t want to see that happen but I’m worried if I tried to do something about it his relatives would object."
Funeral Paid by Stranger
Starr had no funeral plans, but Sheffield funeral director Michael Fogg stepped in to make sure he had a proper burial by paying for the entire funeral out of his own pocket. 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. For those asking why I am paying, well it is my money, it is my business and that is what I want to spend my money on. He should be reunited with the people he loved and his family. He shouldn't be buried in foreign land, he should be brought back to be in his own country."
