Up before the beak25

Widows prepare legal action to recover Emu and Orville after birds’ ‘owner’ demands cash

THE widows of Rod Hull and Keith Harris are set to take legal action amid claims their husbands’ famous TV puppets Emu and Orville are being “held to ransom”.

Last week we revealed the pair were furious to discover the birds, which they insist are rightfully theirs, were to be put up for auction.

Famously aggressive Emu, modelled on the Australian flightless bird, and loveable duck Orville were set to make upwards of £10,000 each for Roger Shaw.

Mr Shaw, who says the puppets are his property, has now offered to sell them to the widows for

£1,600 each.

But Sarah Harris and Cher Hyltonhull believe the offer is a joke.

Sarah said: “This has come about because Keith and

Rod are no longer with us. They would have made sure of the puppets’ return to their loved ones.

“Both Cher and myself thought the puppets were in storage with International Artists, the agency which Keith and Rod shared.” Cher who lives in Sydney, Australia, agreed saying: “I feel we are being held to ransom over the return of our own property and it would be wrong to give Roger Shaw any money whatsoever.

“For what? Keeping Emu and Orville in a box?”

Keith Harris’s former manager and close friend Robert C. Kelly said his solicitors had contacted Mr Shaw. Mr Kelly said: “I wanted to try to have this issue resolved.

“The result is Roger Shaw is prepared to sanction the release of Orville and Emu, but at a price.”

Mr Kelly said if Mr Shaw does not instruct the auctioneers to “release the puppets from captivity,” he will initiate legal action on behalf of both women.

He said: “Both widows came to learn of Roger Shaw’s moves to sell independently but they are now united in their bid to get their puppets back.

“But remember, these aren’t just puppets. They are national treasures. They represent all the wonderful fun the British public enjoyed at the hands of Keith Harris and Rod Hull.”

The famous pair had been placed for sale with leading British auction house Bonhams. Mr Shaw said the puppets had been “gifted” go him by the entertainers. But Sarah said Orville had been loaned to Mr Shaw to make replicas which could be

sold at venues.

Rod Hull died aged 63 in 1999. Keith Harris died from cancer in 2015 aged 67.