Freddie Starr dies, age 76

BBC News were similarly cautious when Cilla Black died, the tabloids broke the story first then Sky News picked it up. The BBC waited until later in the afternoon for official confirmation.

Doesn’t BBC News require two separate sources to go with a story that’s yet to be confirmed? I’m sure I’ve heard that somewhere?

And both Freddie and Cilla were born in Merseyside... #conspiracy

This still creases me everytime I see it...
RIP Freddie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6JnhQxef9A

Headline no longer uses the quotation marks. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-48222827

Oddly it wasn't the tabloids who broke Cilla Black's death but the Telegraph. The news broke on their website at around midday followed by the rest of the print media, then sky news. BBC by around 2pm.
The BBC wording now makes it sound like they have confirmed his death but not the details as reported by the Sun (they have now published his obituary.)

Oddly enough my biggest memory is ‘Beat The Crusher’ on Sky One when I was 10 years old!

I'd be surprised if ITV3 repeated it, especially considering Clifford pops up once or twice, unless they're willing to re-edit it to avoid any shots of people we'd rather not be reminded of.

RTÉ News Six One in Ireland has reported this story as well.

Freddie Starr and Muhammad Ali on Parky.

Further to previous conversation, here is the original BBC News article about the death of Brian Matthew that was later removed when it turned out he hadn't died (but I saved to the Wayback Machine at the time):

http://web.archive.org/web/20170405131416/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-39500773

It includes a family statement, so you do wonder what the miscommunication was.

Freddie Starr's Variety Madhouse, LWT 1979.

Perfect screen grab.

Russ Abbotts expression, as frame left, Starr does his tragically unfunny 'Hitler' character.