Brucie ‘too frail to attend Ronnie Corbett’s funeral’
SIR Bruce Forsyth is said to be too frail to attend Ronnie Corbett’s funeral on Monday.
While family and friends gather in Surrey, Sir Bruce, 88, is expected miss the send-off for a fellow entertainer who was one of his dearest friends.
The former host of Strictly Come Dancing is continuing his recovery at home following surgery needed after a fall at his home in Wentworth in October. It caused swelling of the main blood vessel leading from his heart.
He is said to be two or three weeks away from being able to get out and his manager Ian Wilson said yesterday: ‘If he asked my advice I’d tell him not to go to the funeral.’
Having led the tributes to Corbett, who died aged 85 a fortnight ago, Sir Bruce said he would miss him ‘like crazy’. Speaking on The One Show after his death, he said: ‘Firstly, I have to say this is one of the saddest days of my life. Things have been going through my mind all day. When you know somebody so well, it’s very difficult not to keep thinking about him.’
He told how the two keen golfers would tease each other with insults.
‘One of my regulars about Ronnie was, “He had a very nasty accident. He fell in the divot”.’
John Cleese, Jimmy Tarbuck, Ricky Gervais and David Walliams all paid tributes to Corbett, one of Britain’s best-loved comedians and renowned for his work with Ronnie Barker in The Two Ronnies.
His funeral will be held at his local church, St John the Evangelist in Shirley, and followed by a service at Croydon Crematorium before a wake at his golf club in New Addington.
Sir Bruce’s operation was said to have been a complete success.
Mr Wilson said: ‘While Sir Bruce needs to rest and recuperate, it is anticipated, given the minimally invasive nature of this operation, he will make a speedy recovery.’
His recovery meant he missed his usual winter break in Puerto Rica with his wife Wilnelia.