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Paul Chuckle feels 'presence' of late brother Barry on stage

The Chuckle Brothers, Barry and Paul Elliott, arrive at Southwark Crown Court in London, where they wil appear as witnesses in the trial of Former DJ Dave Lee Travis who is accused of 13 counts of indecent assault dating back to between 1976 and 2003, and one count of sexual assault in 2008.   (Photo by Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images)
The Chuckle Brothers, Barry and Paul Elliott (Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images)

Paul Chuckle has told how he still feels his late brother Barry around him when he is on stage.

The Chuckle Brothers star said he feels as if Barry – who died at the age of 73 in 2018 – gives him inspiration and helps him to get the audience laughing when he is performing.

The Daily Star quoted Paul, 72, as saying: “Baz comes to me in my dreams and I feel his presence when I’m waiting in the wings before I go on stage.

“He inspires me with gags. I’m doing a lot of the lines he used to do and I feel he’s there helping me get laughs so I can time them the same as he did.”

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NEWPORT, ISLE OF WIGHT - SEPTEMBER 12:  Paul Chuckle and Barry Chuckle of The Chuckle Brothers backstage during day 3 of Bestival 2015> at Robin Hill Country Park on September 12, 2015 in Newport, Isle of Wight.  (Photo by Ollie Millington/Redferns)
Paul Chuckle and Barry Chuckle of The Chuckle Brothers backstage during Bestival 2015 (Ollie Millington/Redferns)

The Chuckle Brothers were a children’s TV staple during the 1980s and 1990s, with their series ChuckleVision proving to be a favourite among kids back in the day.

The duo got their first big break when they competed on and won the talent show Opportunity Knocks in 1967.

ChuckleVision began in 1987 and ran for 22 years, until 2009.

During this time the brothers – real names Paul and Barry Elliott - starred in nearly 300 episodes, which saw them getting into all sorts of precarious misadventures.

The Chuckle Brothers with the Special Award at the EA BAFTA Kids Awards at the Hilton Hotel in London.
The Chuckle Brothers with the Special Award at the EA BAFTA Kids Awards at the Hilton Hotel in London (PA).

Barry passed away in August 2018.

The siblings’ older brother, Jimmy Patton, later said that Barry had been suffering from bone cancer which had spread to his lungs, but said that he had kept news of the disease private.

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He told The Sun at the time: “We are all devastated.

“Barry had bone cancer which had spread to his lungs.

“He was ill for years, but kept it hidden. We knew about it, but kept it quiet, and all the family are really hurting right now.”