‘I’ll never work again’
Dying Ken Dodd’s last words to his comedy pal Roy Hudd
KEN DODD told best friend Roy Hudd in a heartbreaking chat just hours before he died: “I’ll never work again.”
Doddy, famous for his love of live performance, knew he had made his final appearance – and it broke actor Roy’s heart to hear him admit it.
Emotional Roy, 81, told the Mirror: “I spoke to him the night before. It was so awful.
“The last thing he said to me was ‘I don’t think I’ll ever work again, you know’. That was so sad, as everyone knows, that was his absolute life.
“He was the ultimate professional comedian.”
Despite realising the end was near, Ken, who died on March 11, still had a few tips for his friend. Roy added: “That last time I spoke to Ken I said, ‘I’ve got to learn the script’.
“He said, ‘You’ve got to keep your hand in with the audience and think of them while you’re learning it’.”
Roy also recalled how Ken was never one to splash the cash. He said: “I once told him he must take a holiday. The next time I saw him he said, ‘I took your advice young man, we went to Majorca.’
“I said how much and he said £125 a fortnight. I thought, ‘Christ where did they stay?’. I asked if he enjoyed it and he said ‘Yes everyone knew me!’
“That is absolutely him. Everyone goes away to rest and get away from it all but no, he wanted to talk to everyone.”
Roy Hudd is in The Magic Of The Music Hall at Coventry Belgrade Theatre on April 23.