Exclusive
TV STAR'S TORMENT
Barry Chuckle died aged 73 after secret battle with bone cancer which spread to his lungs
Third Chuckle Brother Jimmy Patton has revealed the family is "devastated" over the death of Barry Chuckle from bone cancer
TV comedy legend Barry Chuckle died after a secret bone cancer battle which had spread to his lungs, his eldest brother has revealed.
Jimmy Patton, 86, said the Elliot family were devastated and grieving at the loss of their 73-year-old brother Barry on Sunday.
6
The retired actor, who also performed with his real-life 'Chuckle' brothers Barry and Paul Elliot, 70, and other brother Brian Elliot, 83, said the whole family were "hurting".
Heartbroken Jimmy told the Sun Online he saw Barry two days before his tragic death.
Speaking from his home in Rotherham, South Yorks., Jimmy said: "We are all devastated.
"Barry had bone cancer which had spread to his lungs.
6
6
6
6
6
"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."
Jimmy and Brian, as the Patton brothers, starred in shows in theatres from their early teens and Paul and Barry would usually be in the crowd.
"That's when they got a taste for it," said Jimmy.
He added: "They would come and watch me and Brian - and Barry and Paul wanted to be on stage with us."
Jimmy also said he was "amazed" Barry managed to get through panto season last year due to his illness.
Bone cancer – the harrowing facts
As the name suggests bone cancer is a rare type of cancer that starts in the bone.
There are around 550 new cases diagnosed every year in the UK, according to the .
The main symptoms include:
- persistent bone pain that gets worse over time and continues into the night
- swelling and redness (inflammation) over a bone, which can make movement difficult if the affected bone is near a joint
- a noticeable lump over a bone
- a weak bone that breaks (fractures) more easily than normal
Some of the main types of bone cancer are:
- osteosarcoma– the most common type, which mostly affects children and young adults under 20
- Ewing sarcoma– which most commonly affects people aged between 10 and 20
- chondrosarcoma– which tends to affect adults aged over 40
In most cases, it's not known why a person develops bone cancer.
You're more at risk of developing it if you:
- have had previous exposure to radiation during radiotherapy
- have a condition known as Paget's disease of the bone – however, only a very small number of people with Paget's disease will actually develop bone cancer
- have a rare genetic condition called Li-Fraumeni syndrome – people with this condition have a faulty version of a gene that normally helps stop the growth of cancerous cells
Treatment for bone cancer depends on the type of bone cancer you have and how far it has spread.
Most people have a combination of:
- surgery to remove the section of cancerous bone– it's often possible to reconstruct or replace the bone that's been removed, but amputation is sometimes necessary
- chemotherapy– treatment with powerful cancer-killing medication
- radiotherapy– where radiation is used to destroy cancerous cells
Source: NHS
most read in news
Paying tribute, he added: "Barry loved being on stage, he loved being on TV - he loved people in general.
"Barry in real life was just like the character he played on the TV and in theatres."Jimmy revealed his brother Paul had taken Barry's death "really hard".
He said: "Paul was closest to Barry you see and he is devastated, we all are - It's very sad."
Jimmy married 26-year-old ChuckleVision fan Amy Phillips who he had met via Facebook last year.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.