Comedian Jimmy Tarbuck, 86, has faced a series of personal tragedies, including a prostate cancer diagnosis, a hit-and-run conviction, and the death of his sister Norma in a hit-and-run. Despite his success as a Sunday Night at the London Palladium host and living in a £5.5 million mansion, his life has been marked by hardship.
Early Life and Showbiz Career
Born in Liverpool in 1940, Tarbuck was one of four children, but one brother died at just 18 months old. At age 20, he was placed on probation for two years after stealing a diamond-encrusted cigarette holder from Terry-Thomas' dressing room, but he still forged a successful showbiz career.
Prostate Cancer Battle
In 2020, Tarbuck was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He admitted he will 'die with' cancer, saying it will not be the cause of his death but will remain in his body until he dies. On Good Morning Britain (GMB), he said of treatment: 'I said, “I’ll buy that. Put me down for one of those, please.”' He also discussed funeral plans with presenter Ed Balls, joking about Tom Jones singing at his ceremony.
His health led him to withdraw from Strictly Come Dancing in 2006 after a high blood pressure diagnosis. The BBC said: 'Following a doctor's assessment this week, Jimmy, the doctors and the BBC have come to the decision that for the good of Jimmy's health he should no longer take part.'
Loss of Showbiz Pals
Tarbuck has lost many friends, including chat show legend Michael Parkinson. In 2023, he broke down on GMB, saying: 'He was a giant friend, a giant of a friend to me. I just miss him.' He recalled their last conversation, where Parkinson invited him to lunch, but Tarbuck said: 'Unfortunately I won’t.'
Hit-and-Run Incident
In 2023, Tarbuck pleaded guilty to a hit-and-run near his home in Kingston-Upon-Thames. He drove his Lexus away after crashing into parked cars. He was fined £716, ordered to pay £110 costs and a £286 victim surcharge, and received five penalty points on his licence. Prosecutor Laura-Ann Harding told the court: 'The defendant drove a vehicle without due care and attention. They collided heavily into stationary vehicles, causing severe damage... Multiple vehicles were hit and one was shunted forward three houses. Nobody was injured as all the vehicles were parked and empty at the time.'
Sister's Death
The hit-and-run occurred just days after the funeral of his beloved sister Norma. In a letter to the court, Tarbuck cited mitigating circumstances. Bench chair Dr Samantha Cobb said: 'We have read his mitigation and the bench fully accept he is full of remorse and is deeply apologetic. We accept this was utterly out of keeping with his character and we take into account he had recently lost his sister and it had been her funeral in the preceding days.' In his autobiography, Tarbuck recalled Norma saving him from drowning in a lake when he was six.
