How Sir Ken Dodd got one over the taxman by marrying partner days before his death
COMEDY Sir Ken Dodd had the last laugh over the taxman by marrying his partner of 40 years two days before his death.
Doddy, who died on Sunday aged 90, tied the knot with Anne Jones to stop her having to pay inheritance tax of more than £2million on his £7.2million fortune.
The shrewd move came almost 30 years after he was acquitted by a court of dodging a £1million tax bill — after £336,000 in cash was found stuffed into suitcases in his attic.
Sir Ken, one of the UK’s best-loved comedians and the master of the one-liner, had a 60-year screen and stage career — along with 18 top 40 singles.
Tears, his biggest hit, was No1 in 1965 for five weeks and sold more than 1.5million copies.
But Doddy’s enduring fame was down to an iconic comedy act marked by his unruly mop of hair, buck teeth — and the famous catchphrase: “How tickled I am!”
Many of his gags were centred on tall tales about Knotty Ash, the Liverpool suburb where he lived for his entire life, and the Diddy Men — the little people who inhabited it.
Doddy was also known for marathon live shows lasting for five hours or more and peppered with gags that were cheeky, saucy — and often just plain daft.
Anne, speaking outside their Knotty Ash home, said: “The world has lost a life-enhancing, brilliant, creative comedian with an operatically-trained voice, who just wanted to make people happy.
“He lived to perfect his art and entertain his live and adoring audiences. I’ve been overwhelmed by the love and affection which I’ve already received from dear friends and the public and I thank you all.”
They wed on Friday in front of a registrar, shortly after Doddy’s six-week stay in hospital with a chest infection. He did his last show in Liverpool in December.
Stars paying tribute to Doddy yesterday were led by Sir Paul McCartney. He 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.”
Fellow Liverpudlian comics Tom O’Connor and John Bishop also paid tribute.
Tom said: “A great loss to entertainment. I feel sorry for any up-and-coming comedian who’ll never have a chance of seeing his brilliance at work.”
John added: “True comedy legend. RIP Sir Ken Dodd.”
Comedian Russ Abbot described Sir Ken as “an icon, a one-off and a true professor of comedy. One of the greatest. How tickled I am to have known him.”
Ant and Dec wrote online: “So sad to hear of the passing of Ken Dodd. A comedy legend.”
Comedian Paddy McGuinness added: “RIP Ken Dodd. A true comedy and entertainment giant amongst us Diddy Men. I’ve never picked up a feather duster without saying, ‘By Jove, missus!’ Legend.”
The BBC last night cancelled its planned usual schedule for a tribute to Sir Ken, including an airing of his Happiness TV show and an interview with him.
The London Palladium, where he performed a record breaking 42-week run of shows in 1965, dimmed its lights in his memory.
Fans left feather dusters outside the star’s home in homage to his classic “tickling stick” routine.
Financial expert Sarah Coles said Doddy had shown a shrewd head for money matters by marrying Anne to save tax. She added: “There are tremendous differences between the ways that a partner and a spouse are treated when it comes to inheritance tax.
“Assets can be passed between spouses free of tax, which can make an enormous difference.”
Without tying the knot, Anne could have been liable to tax at 40 per cent on the vast majority of Doddy’s estate.
It may have meant a bill of up to £2.6million.
After his tax evasion acquittal in 1989 Doddy mined the experience for comic material — making jokes about the trial the centrepiece of his live performances.
The court had heard how he stashed cash in wardrobes, cupboards and under his stairs.
He started opening his act with the gag: “Good evening, my name is Kenneth Arthur Dodd, singer, photographic playboy and failed accountant.” And he quipped: “I told the Inland Revenue I didn’t owe them a penny because I lived by the sea.”
Doddy was made an OBE in 1982 and was knighted last year for services to entertainment and charity. He also made it into the Guinness Book of Records for the longest joke-telling session ever - 1,500 jokes in 3½ hours.
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Fans in Liverpool yesterday told of the sadness at his death.
Samuel Johnson said: “We’ll never forget the laughs he gave us.”
Doddy’s publicist Robert Holmes said of the star’s relationship with Anne: “It’s a love story to beat them all.”