BILLIONS

over there. Eric had spent a lifetime working to be loved here and didn’t want to start all over again for the US audience. Ernie would have been happy to move but they didn’t fall out.” Father-of-three Eric had a second heart attack in 1979 and underwent bypass surgery.

Five years later, the 58-yearold collapsed in the wings of a Gloucestershire theatre after six curtain calls following a charity show hosted by his close friend, comedian Stan Stennett. He died later in hospital.

Joan said: “I don’t usually watch the old shows but I’ll watch the new ones. I get a mixture of emotions. We used to be such a fun four, all of us together.

“Now there’s no Eric, no Ernie, Ernie’s wife Doreen has gone, there’s only me left. I’m sad because he’s not here and doesn’t know how successful they still are. But how marvellous for him that they’re still so loved.”