Presenter Des O’Connor was a comedy legend and his death two years ago sparked an outpouring of grief.
The TV star – who was known for shows like Take Your Pick!, Countdown and The Des O’Connor Show – passed away in November 2020 at the age of 88.
Death of Des O’Connor – what happened?
The star had suffered a fall at his home in Buckinghamshire and although he initially started to recover he went downhill and died a few days later.
His agent Pat Lake-Smith said in a statement at the time that Des had been the “ultimate entertainer”.
Des dealt with it very privately.
She said: “He was a joy to work with – he was talented, fun, positive, enthusiastic, kind and a total professional.
“He loved life, and considered enthusiasm almost as important as oxygen.”
Star had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s
After the star died, his widow Jodie Brooke Wilson revealed that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease a few years before.
She told the Daily Mail last year: “Des dealt with it very privately. He didn’t want people to feel sorry for him and for it to be what they first thought about when they saw him. He was diagnosed in 2017 but he thinks he had had it for a while.”
Jodie said the star had noticed a tremor when he was in a production of The Wizard Of Oz at the London Palladium in 2012, during a scene where he was in a hot air balloon.
“He remembers sitting in the hot air balloon and looking down at his hands and seeing a tremor,” she said.
She said although he thought it was strange he didn’t think it was related to Parkinson’s.
Take Your Pick! to be on Alan Carr’s Epic Gameshow
Des was well known for his show Take Your Pick!.
And this weekend, comedian Alan Carr is reviving it on his Epic Gameshow, which features new versions of old quiz shows.
Read more: Des O’Connor partied with showbiz pals in last public appearance before his death
It airs at 7pm on ITV on Saturday (August 13).
Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think of this story.