Stars attend funeral of Coronation Street and Last of the Summer Wine's Duggie Brown

Duggie Brown died aged 82 after a short illness. Credit: ITV News

Stars from the worlds of television and light entertainment turned out for the funeral of actor and comedian Duggie Brown.

The Rotherham-born entertainer, who first found fame in Ken Loach's 1969 film Kes, died on 16 August after a short illness. He was 82.

His funeral took place in Retford, north Nottinghamshire, on Monday, 5 September. Friends and colleagues from his decades in show business were there to pay their respects.

Singer Tony Christie, best known for the hit song Amarillo, told ITV News Brown was "an absolutely great man".

He said: "You know, you had to be good because in those days in the working men's clubs, social clubs and nightclubs, if you were no good they booed you [and told you] 'get off.'"

Fellow comic Tommy Cannon said: "It's just so sad that he’s gone, everybody will miss him. He’ll always be remembered."

  • Tommy Cannon, Freddie Davies and Tony Christie pay tribute to Duggie Brown.

In a career spanning more than five decades, Brown appeared in All Creatures Great And Small, Heartbeat, Hotel Babylon, EastEnders, Holby City and My Brother’s Keeper.

He played Verny in Holmfirth-based comedy Last of the Summer Wine and starred alongside Martin Clunes and Keeley Hawes in the 2002 thriller A Is For Acid, based on the life of serial killer John George Haigh.

He also played the Fool in Shakespeare’s King Lear for the Northern Broadsides Theatre Company’s national tour, and starred in We Are Three Sisters based on Anton Chekhov’s novel exploring the lives of the Bronte sisters.

Duggie Brown pictured with his wife Jackie while on holiday.

In recent years he took on the role of Mr Boo in Jim Cartwright’s comedic play The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice, and appeared as himself in a live show of The Comedians to celebrate the 40-year anniversary of the hit show.

Most recently he played the role of Ted Spear in Coronation Street.

Brown's wife, Jackie, said at the time of his death: "I will miss him for the rest of my life.

"Fly high my darling funny man, you deserve a special place in heaven."