Paul Chuckle recalls the heartfelt moment from Ipswich Town fans at Rotherham United in tribute to brother Barry who died back in 2018.
It was on the 5th of August 2018 that Barry died after a period of ill health, Paul saying at the time “I’ve not just lost my brother, I’ve lost my theatrical partner of many, many years and my very best friend.”
Paul, 76, later disclosed that his brother was diagnosed with bone cancer, but Barry decided to keep it quiet from his manager, fans, and even Paul himself in order to continue performing for as long as he could.
The funeral took place on the 17th of August at Rotherham’s New York Stadium, attended by several friends from the entertainment industry with a big crowd of people turning up to pay their respect.
In 2016, an emotional moment saw Rotherham and Ipswich fans chanting “To me, to you” to remember Barry Chuckle, followed by a chorus of “There’s only one Barry Chuckle.”
And clearly the moment meant so much to him. He said on a live stream at the weekend: “‘Will Ipswich stay up?’ Yes, I’m sure they will. Definitely mate.
“Remember the Tractorboys came to Rotherham when Barry died in the week and Ipswich played us on the Saturday.
“And I remember everybody both ends the grounds applauding at the 73rd minute, because Barry died obviously when he was 73, was very touching.”
Uppa Paul Chuckle #itfc pic.twitter.com/nfgtSoRZkc
— Sam Clements (@samITFC) August 4, 2024
Rotherham & Ipswich fans chanting ‘to me, to you’ before chants of ‘one Barry Chuckle’#RUFC #ITFC pic.twitter.com/QGpGKkDyzQ
— Joe Redmond (@JoeTomRed) August 11, 2018
Miss you Baz ❤️ pic.twitter.com/9hK6XllRX4
— Paul Chuckle (@PaulChuckle2) August 4, 2024
Paul, alongside his dearly missed brother Barry, has delighted countless children across the country and amused their parents through their television program ‘ChuckleVision.’
This BBC show, which has been on air for over two decades, earned them a lifetime BAFTA award for their contributions to children’s television and popularised their iconic catchphrase, ‘To Me, To You.’
The Chuckle Brothers also hosted their own game show, performed in over 50 pantomimes throughout their careers, and staged numerous highly successful live performances across the nation.
To this day, they’re both cherished and holds a special place in the hearts of the British public, as evidenced by their ranking as the number one CBBC series in a 2019 poll of the greatest shows of all time.
Paul has entertained generations with his distinctive style of family comedy and is now expanding his horizons by exploring a different form of entertainment from social media, music, panto and much more.
He has taken to clubs, showcasing his dance, pop, and commercial music sets as a DJ, with his appeal remaining strong among both long-time fans and new audiences, particularly among today’s youth, as demonstrated by his sold-out PA nights.
Around a year ago, he appeared on ITV’s This Morning, Paul spoke on how Barry hid his cancer: “He knew had he said anything, our manager and myself would have said straightaway ‘Get yourself sorted’.
“He’d have lost pantomimes, gigs and he wanted to keep working. And that’s the reason he didn’t tell us.”
He spoke about how Barry battled cancer, as he explained: “It got rough for him. Cancer gets you and there’s nothing you can do about it. Obviously painkillers and stuff.
“I couldn’t blame him, that was his thing and he’d always said he would do that and he did that. But still, it was it was awful.”
Discussing the loss of his brother, Paul confessed: “Well, obviously, we’ve been together since I was born as he’s three years older. But we worked together for 55 years. It’s a long time.
“In fact, coming here to Shepherd’s Bush today. 60 years ago, this moment, we auditioned for a programme for the BBC known as The Empire.”
At the time of his brother’s death in August 2018, Paul said on Barry’s death, stating: “I’ve not just lost my brother, I’ve lost my theatrical partner of many, many years and my very best friend.”
Talking about what his older brother was like as a performer, Paul added: “He was bubbly, he was fantastic, especially on stage. A friend of ours – a psychic – said, watching from side of the stage that he’s a completely different person when he walks on stage. Like a spirit goes into it.”
Twitter users reacted as Paul Chuckle recalls the heartfelt moment from Ipswich fans in tribute to brother Barry…
@MikeSparkes2: Definitely! Uppa the chuckle
@KroB91875: You both gave me wonderful hours of enjoyment throughout my childhood years. Thank you and RIP Barry
@charlesball86: Thinking of you. Never easy to lose a brother.
@michaelarmstro9: Biggest legend missed everyday paul 💔
@MattAlexBestfan: Barry will always be with you, Paul, in both your memories and in your heart too. Both you and Barry brought so much joy and entertainment into people’s lives. I was lucky enough to see you both performing at Butlins Holiday World in Minehead back in the early nineties.
@Bargainhunter85: Legend. What a guy what a set of brothers. Never forgotten in our house.
@jettight19: 💔
@kalsjdhflkjsa: Sending my thoughts!
@HellholeIsland: Legends. Barry is much missed.
@themill72: I think the country could do with a bit of Baz right now, legend.
@Benn_Sanderson: Thinking of you today.
— Josh (@_QwertyyJS) August 4, 2024
You must be logged in to post a comment Login