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| Chuckle Brothers star Barry's funeral held in Rotherham | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The funeral of Barry Chuckle, one half of the comedy duo the Chuckle Brothers, is being held in Rotherham. | |
| The 73-year-old entertainer, whose real name was Barry Elliott, starred in ChuckleVision with his brother Paul on the BBC between 1987 and 2009. | The 73-year-old entertainer, whose real name was Barry Elliott, starred in ChuckleVision with his brother Paul on the BBC between 1987 and 2009. |
| Generations of children watched the accident-prone pair, known for catchphrases like: "To me, to you." | Generations of children watched the accident-prone pair, known for catchphrases like: "To me, to you." |
| The service is being held at Rotherham United football club, of which Barry was an honorary life president. | |
| Dozens of fans gathered outside the ground to pay their respects. | |
| Lisa Scranage, 45, and her fiance Mark Kitchen, 37, got to the stadium with Lisa's 14-year-old son Ryan at about 10:00 BST, having travelled from Featherstone. | |
| Ms Scranage said she first watched Chucklevision as a child after school and her love of Barry and Paul grew from there. | |
| She went regularly to shows and often stayed behind to chat to the brothers, becoming friends with them. | |
| "They have given us so much over the years as the Chuckle Brother,s so this is the last chance to give a little bit back to Barry, to say goodbye and pay our respects," she said. | |
| The couple had asked Barry Chuckle to come to their wedding. | |
| TV entertainer Don Maclean said he first met Barry and Paul in 1977 in pantomime in Nottingham and went on to appear in many more shows over the years. | |
| He said: "Barry on stage was very funny, but off stage he was quite a quiet man with a great depth of thought. He was a man of great intellect. | |
| "I don't think today can be a sombre affair. People will be very sad. | |
| "It's a terrible thing to think that he had gone, but I think there must be laughter. His life was about making people laugh, right across the generations." | |
| A statement from the Elliott family said: "As a family we would welcome fans to celebrate his life and pay their respects with us, outside of the New York Stadium. | A statement from the Elliott family said: "As a family we would welcome fans to celebrate his life and pay their respects with us, outside of the New York Stadium. |
| "We are overwhelmed with the love and support we have received over the last few days, and thank everyone concerned." | "We are overwhelmed with the love and support we have received over the last few days, and thank everyone concerned." |
| They added: "There is an event for invited family and close friends which respectfully is private and by invite only." | They added: "There is an event for invited family and close friends which respectfully is private and by invite only." |
| Earlier this year, the brothers returned to the small screen with a new show, Chuckle Time, on Channel 5. | Earlier this year, the brothers returned to the small screen with a new show, Chuckle Time, on Channel 5. |
| The star had been unwell towards the end of the new show's filming. | The star had been unwell towards the end of the new show's filming. |
| Summer work was cancelled while Barry rested at his doctor's request, but not long after his health deteriorated. | Summer work was cancelled while Barry rested at his doctor's request, but not long after his health deteriorated. |
| The duo - who performed for friends and family in their garden before becoming famous - started their careers as The Chuckles on ITV talent show Opportunity Knocks in 1967. | The duo - who performed for friends and family in their garden before becoming famous - started their careers as The Chuckles on ITV talent show Opportunity Knocks in 1967. |
| The Chuckle Brothers | The Chuckle Brothers |