Campaign to give him an Abbey memorial
SUPPORT was gathering pace last night for a memorial celebration of Sir Bruce Forsyth’s life at Westminster Abbey.
Other stars given the honour include his friend Ronnie, Sir Terry Wogan, Sir David Frost and Sir Harry Secombe.
Sir Bruce died on Friday aged 89 and his family are making plans for his funeral.
But Professor Jonathan Shalit, the chairman of celebrity PR agency ROAR who has worked with everyone from Emma Bunton to Lorraine Kelly, said: ‘Without a doubt he should have a memorial at Westminster Abbey.
‘He is a man who exemplifies all that is good in being a public broadcaster. The king of light entertainment should be honoured at the church of the Queen.’
Former culture secretary John Whittingdale said: ‘He is such a huge figure in the life of the nation – I would hope that as many people as possible will be able to pay their respects to such a much-loved figure.’
Fans also called for a memorial at the abbey. One tweeted: ‘A Westminster Abbey burial at the very least.’ Another added: ‘If ever there’s man who deserves a Westminster Abbey funeral, it’s Sir Bruce.’ The entertainer’s man- ager Ian Wilson said funeral plans have yet to be made by the family but an announcement is due in the coming days.
As tributes to Sir Bruce continued to pour in, it emerged that councillors in his home area of Edmonton, north-east London, are considering erecting a statue of him.
Those who have paid tribute to the presenter of TV hits such as The Generation Game and Strictly Come Dancing include pop star Sir Elton John, comedian Jimmy Tarbuck, broadcaster Stephen Fry and Theresa May.
One rather gritty tribute came from delivery driver Ricky Minns, 42, from Norwich, who drew a portrait of Sir Bruce with one of his catchphrases in the dirt on the rear of his van.
A repeat of When Miranda Met Bruce, a four-year-old TV special about the entertainer, got nearly double the audience of the hotly anticipated Child Genius final.
The interview with actress Miranda Hart was added to the BBC1 Saturday night schedule and attracted 4.2million viewers. Channel 4’s Child Genius, meanwhile, drew in 1.8million.