Paul Chuckle has disclosed that his late brother Barry concealed the severity of his bone cancer diagnosis for two years, allowing him to continue performing until his death at age 73. The comedian, who appeared on ITV's This Morning, said Barry kept his illness secret from family and fans, claiming his leg pains were sciatica.
“He kept it from me and our manager Phil because we would have said no [to him performing],” Paul explained. “He wanted to work until he died. He wanted to die on stage like Tommy Cooper.” The brothers had worked together for 55 years as the Chuckle Brothers.
Paul, who learned of the true extent of Barry’s illness only a few months ago, said his brother urged him to carry on entertaining. “He told me to carry on and don't stop. We love entertaining and making people laugh. He wants me to do it so I will hopefully carry on,” Paul said.
The duo’s last public appearance together was on Channel 5's Chuckle Time series earlier this year. Paul, whose parents were performers, said he intends to continue in show business despite the loss. “It's just so hard to talk about him in the past,” he added.
