Telly star Cheggers dies at 60
First wife Maggie Philbin leads tributes to presenter Keith
KEITH Chegwin, one of the bestloved children’s TV hosts of the 70s and 80s, died aged 60 yesterday after battling a lung condition.
The Scouse star, affectionately known as Cheggers, shot to fame on Multi-coloured Swap Shop at age 17.
But he had suffered a public battle with alcoholism and struggled with breathing difficulties for many years.
Keith died at home in Shropshire surrounded by second wife Maria and children, Ted and Rose.
His family said: “We are heartbroken to share the news that Keith Chegwin sadly passed away following a long-term battle with a progressive lung condition, which rapidly worsened towards the end of this year.
“Keith was a loving husband, father, son, brother, uncle and friend.” The TV star also leaves behind his sister, Radio 1 DJ Janice Long, his twin brother Jeff and dad Colin.
Maggie Philbin, Keith’s ex-wife and co-star, said yesterday: “I saw him two months ago at his sister Janice’s wedding.
“He was still attempting to be life and soul of the party despite being on portable oxygen and made sure he knew how much he meant to us all.” A former 60-a-day smoker, the TV star died of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, which causes progressive scarring of the lungs, making them stiffer and breathing increasingly difficult.
In a heartbreaking last message on Twitter, on September 28, the star posted: “Still not right. I will be back – But not for a bit yet. I’m so sorry.”
Keith met Tomorrow’s World host Maggie on Swap Shop in 1978. The pair were married in 1982 and became the golden couple of showbiz.
They even released a single together, I Wanna Be A Winner, which reached No15 in January 1982. But the couple divorced in 1993.
Maggie said: “Keith was loved by everyone who knew and worked with him. I was immediately struck by his fun, energy and kindness. He leaves us all with very special memories.”
He married his second wife, Maria Fielden, in 2000.
Yesterday, celebrity tributes for the star flowed in.
Keith’s Swap Shop co-host Edmonds said he was a “true legend”.
He added: “I’ve lost my first real telly chum. He was an extraordinary showman. I never saw Keith flustered or lost for words, upset or angry. I never heard Cheggers say a bad word about anyone.”
DJ Tony Blackburn, who worked with Noel telly Keith on Radio said he had lost “brother”.
Tony said: “He was the nicest person I’ve ever met.
“He was as you saw him on TV. He was very honest and that was his charm.”
Keith spoke freely about battling alcoholism in the 80s, writing a book about it called Shaken But Not Stirred in 1995.
He had given up drinking in 1992, after an appearance on ITV’S This Morning.
He had said: “I am an alcoholic. It’s a disease. The moment I have a drink, then bang, I am gone.”
In recent years, Keith comeback on reality TV.
Keith bared all as the host of Channel 5’s Naked Jungle in 2000, which he said was his “worst career move”.
He took part in Dancing On Ice in 2013, and Celebrity Masterchef and Celebrity Big Brother in 2015, describing the latter as a “nightmare” which he’d “actually quite enjoyed”. staged 1, a a