Victoria Wood's brother defends tell-all biography
I make no apologies at all about including Victoria’s unhappy teenage years, because she herself spoke about it
The brother of much-loved comedian Victoria Wood, who died earlier this year following a private battle with cancer, has defended his upcoming tell-all biography that details his sister's childhood struggles.
Chris Foote-Wood faced a backlash from critics after publishing the book that describes the comedy genius as ‘fat’ and ‘miserable’ and details her unhappiness as a child.
In an exclusive interview with Lorraine, Chris Foote-Wood, who revealed he wasn't invited to Victoria's funeral, said he made no apology for writing the book, which includes extracts from a private journal written by their late father.
In the diary, Victoria's father criticised her for being overweight, 'glum and morose'.
On reports that his book, called Victoria Wood Comedy Genius - Her Life and Work, is seen as a betrayal, Chris said: “I make no apologies at all about including Victoria’s unhappy teenage years, because she herself spoke about it … saying she was overweight, she was unhappy and didn’t know what to do. So I think it's perfectly legitimate for me to quote Victoria herself and include that. It’s an essential part of her story.”
He added, “Before her fanastic success she had many years of struggle and this book is a story of her struggle from difficult early years, to her start in showbiz and her ultimate success.”
Chris has insisted he will not profit from the book and has promised to donate any royalties to charities associated with Victoria.
When asked if he thought Victoria would approve, Chris replied, “I think she probably would have said, ‘no, don't do it’, but secretly she’d be quite happy for the public to enjoy [it]. Most of the book is of her great success.”
Watch the full interview above.