A f lood of tributes … and a few tickle sticks
SIR Ken Dodd’s widow led tributes to the comedian yesterday, describing him as ‘a most wonderful husband’ and someone ‘who just wanted to make people happy’.
Lady Anne Dodd joined millions of fans in remembering ‘a most life-enhancing, brilliant, creative comedian’. Celebrities including Sir Paul McCartney, Dawn French, David Walliams and Ant and Dec also paid tribute.
Speaking outside their Liverpool home yesterday morning, Lady Dodd said: ‘I have lost a most wonderful husband.
‘I’ve had the supreme joy and privilege of working and living with him as partner for the past 40 years.
‘The world has lost a most lifeenhancing, brilliant, creative comedian with an operatically trained voice who just wanted to make people happy. He lived to By Laura Lambert TV and Radio Reporter perfect his art and entertain his live and adoring audiences.’
Fans laid flowers and tickle sticks outside their home in Knotty Ash, where Sir Ken was born, while fellow comics posted messages on social media.
Mr Walliams tweeted: ‘Comedy flowed through him like water. RIP Sir Ken Dodd.’
Miss French wrote: ‘What a wonderful day for sticking a cucumber through your neighbour’s letter box and shouting “The aliens have landed!” Tatty bye Doddy. And thanks. #doddy.’ Meanwhile, Sir Paul said: ‘Farewell to my fellow Liverpudlian the tattyfilarious Ken Dodd. Beloved by many people in Britain and a great champion of his home city and comedy.
‘We met him on a few occasions as The Beatles and always ended up in tears of laughter.
‘Today it’s tears of sadness as well. See you Doddy.’
Ant and Dec wrote: ‘So sad to hear of the passing of #KenDodd. A comedy legend. RIP.’
Former TV executive Lord Grade told Sky News that Sir Ken was the ‘greatest I’ve ever seen on the stage’, a ‘comic genius’ and ‘absolutely peerless’.
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