Barry Chuckle, one half of famous comedy duo the Chuckle Brothers, has died at the age of 73, his manager Phil Dale has confirmed.
Dale said: "It is with great sadness that the family announce that Barry passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by his wife Ann and all his family.
"The family would like to express their thanks to the many people who have been fans of the Chuckle Brothers and they know that they will share in part the great, great loss they feel."
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His brother Paul added: "I've not just lost my brother, I've lost my theatrical partner of many, many years and my very best friend."
Chuckle, whose real name was Barry Elliot, was most famous for his work alongside Paul. The comedy duo launched their double act as 'The Chuckles' on ITV talent show Opportunity Knocks way back in 1967.
But the brothers will always be remembered for the BBC's ChuckleVision, which first aired in 1987. It ran until 2009, when it was sadly cancelled.
It focused on the cheery duo's hapless undertakings, providing us with lots of laughs along the way as they invariably failed to get the job done properly. The show also spawned their immortal catchphrase, 'To me, to you', which became so iconic that they even used it as the title of a spin-off gameshow in the late 1990s.
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Every Christmas, the Chuckle brothers would appear in a pantomime. Last year, Barry and Paul starred in Snow White And The Seven Dwarves in Southampton, and the year before that saw them feature in Jack And The Beanstalk in Nottingham.
Tributes have been pouring in for the late entertainer, as shocked Brits come to term with the news that one of the biggest names from their childhood has passed away.
One Twitter user wrote: "This has hit me so hard. RIP Barry Chuckle. Think we all grew up watching the #ChuckleBrothers 'To me to you'. Paul once smashed a cream pie in my Dad's face at a show on Great Yarmouth pier. Two Brothers full of life and fun! Poor Paul and the rest of his family & friends."
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Another commented: "RIP Barry Chuckle. As one half of the #ChuckleBrothers he had a knack of being funny without being offensive or naughty. #ChuckleVision is one of the greatest ever children TV shows and better than anything nowadays."
Someone else said: "Oh dear, oh dear - we've lost Barry Chuckle. An absolute veteran of slapstick and wordplay, the entertainment world will be a much sadder place without him. Love to @PaulChuckle2 & family at this difficult time."
Rest in peace.
Featured Image Credit: PA