Four candles for Ronnie – genius ‘who lit up lives’
Star-studded Westminster Abbey service
SOME of Britain’s biggest stars came together with family, friends and fans of Ronnie Corbett to pay tribute to the comedy legend at Westminster Abbey yesterday.
The chair from which he delivered his hilarious monologues on The Two Ronnies was placed in front of the altar, along with four candles – a nod to the duo’s most famous sketch.
The Service of Thanksgiving celebrated the life and career of the Scots entertainer, who died in March last year aged 85.
Among the celebrities in the Abbey were Dame Barbara Windsor, Michael Crawford, Harry Hill, Graham Norton, Richard Wilson and Joanna Lumley.
Addressing the service, comedian Jimmy Tarbuck said his old friend ‘was 5ft 2in in stature and 10ft in comedic talent’.
Corbett’s wife Anne, who was married to him for 50 years, wore his CBE medal around her neck. She sat in the front row flanked by their daughters Emma and Sophie.
In an emotional tribute, comedian Rob Brydon said it was ‘truly one of the great pleasures’ of his life to have become friends with the Edinburghborn comedy great.
‘To walk down the street with Ronnie Corbett was to witness something really rather wonderful. Faces would light up with joy like shop windows when they saw him,’ he said. ‘Here was that man, that friend, who had entertained us for so long.’
Brydon’s voice cracked with emotion as he told how he had kept many of the comedy legend’s answerphone messages.
He added: ‘In these horribly dark and troubled times we’re living through, he’s brought us together and once again we’ve laughed and we’ve smiled as we remember and celebrate him.’
During the hour-long service, which was filled with laughter and tears, the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr John Hall, said Corbett ‘gave immeasurable joy to countless people’.
Recordings of some of the comic’s classic moments including the ‘fork handles’ sketch from The Two Ronnies were then played to the gathering.
One notable absence was Sir Bruce Forsyth, 89, one of Corbett’s dearest friends, who was too ill to attend.