{"id":19149,"date":"2025-08-23T22:24:08","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T22:24:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/19149\/"},"modified":"2025-08-23T22:24:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T22:24:08","slug":"freddie-starr-died-penniless-with-no-family-contact-as-comedians-children-kept-distance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/19149\/","title":{"rendered":"Freddie Starr died ‘penniless’ with no family contact as comedian’s children kept distance"},"content":{"rendered":"

Freddie Starr was one of the most recognisable faces on TV and a comedy icon, but the beloved performer died alone and penniless in 2019, leaving fans concerned for the fate of his funeral arrangements<\/p>\n

20:24, 23 Aug 2025Updated 21:12, 23 Aug 2025<\/p>\n

\"FreddieFreddie Starr died ‘penniless’ with no family contact as comedian’s children kept distance(Image: UK Press via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Comedy legend Freddie Starr,<\/a> once amongst Britain’s most cherished performers, was given a proper send-off in the UK after a kind-hearted stranger stepped forward to pay for his funeral when the star died without a penny to his name. The entertainer, who raked in fortunes during his heyday in the 1970s and 80s whilst hosting his own BBC<\/a> programme, succumbed to a heart attack in 2019 aged 76.<\/p>\n

When he passed away, he was residing in a humble one-bedroom property on Spain’s Costa del Sol and was allegedly facing the prospect of becoming homeless.<\/p>\n

Fears quickly mounted that the quirky comic would end up with a pauper’s funeral <\/a>in Spain – a basic burial funded by taxpayers for those without means, typically in an anonymous or shared plot – worlds apart from his desire to be interred back on home soil.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: Sir Lenny Henry recalls bold move that changed his life as he receives award<\/a>READ MORE: Lionel Richie left shaken as burglars target Beverly Hills mansion in terrifying raid<\/a>\"RoyalThe comedian died back in 2019(Image: Mirrorpix)<\/p>\n

His Bulgarian carer Nelly Georgieva, who discovered his remains, disclosed that she hadn’t been in contact with his relatives for years, casting doubt over his final send-off until a compassionate stranger intervened, reports the Daily Record<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Speaking at the time, Nelly revealed: “Freddie had bad feelings about back home, he felt the British people had deserted him.<\/p>\n

“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,” she added.<\/p>\n

\"ComedianHe died without a penny to his name(Image: George Wilkes Archive, Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Starr, who left behind six children, three former spouses and a widow, departed this world<\/a> with nothing but outstanding debts and no concrete plans for his burial.<\/p>\n

When the late comedian found himself without a benefactor, Sheffield-based funeral director Michael Fogg, who had never crossed paths with Starr, nobly shouldered the costs of his repatriation and funeral, asking nothing from Starr’s family.<\/p>\n

Mr Fogg explained his altruistic act: “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.”<\/p>\n

Fogg’s magnanimity ensured that Starr was returned to British soil, sparing the beloved entertainer the indignity of an anonymous pauper’s burial abroad.<\/p>\n

Undeterred by public curiosity, Mr Fogg elaborated: “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.<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok<\/a>, Snapchat<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, Facebook<\/a>, YouTube<\/a> and Threads<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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