Stars of sport and showbiz attend memorial service for Everton chairman Bill Kenwright

Former boxer Tony Bellew has paid his respects to "unicorn" Bill Kenwright at a memorial service in Liverpool.

The Everton chairman, West End producer and Coronation Street actor died aged 78 on Monday 23 October, following a battle with cancer.

His memorial service at Liverpool Cathedral saw famous faces from the worlds of sport and show-business gather to celebrate his life, including former professional boxer Tony Bellew, who said Kenwright "meant the world" to him.

Bellew, who has just returned from the I'm A Celebrity jungle, said: "He's an integral of my career and my life.

"He was a unicorn. He was a complete one-off, I couldn't put it into words how brilliant he was.

"He knew everything and anything about Everton football club, some facts historians wouldn't even know. He adored and loved the club, he loved the fans and loved the people.

"He always looked out for me and I'll never ever forget that."

Bellew added: "What he did for this football club was instrumental, our football club wouldn't be where it is today if it wasn't for him. He saved us at a time when we needed saving.

"I was able to talk to him and spend time with him and get to know him and just a what a brilliant, great man he really was."

Kenwright joined the club as chairman in 2004 and just a year in he saw the Blues secure a place in the Champions League qualifiers.

Among those in attendance were other sporting legends, including former Everton player Peter Reid who said Kenwright "became a friend" and "always had the club at heart".

Another former Everton player, David Unsworth, said he was "so sorry" Kenwright never got to see the club win.

He said: "He was an amazing, amazing individual, full of charisma, full of fun, and he was desperate for the success of this great football club.

"He meant the world to me, he was a great mentor, he was a great chairman and a great friend.

"He would always call you at the right time, when you needed it, and that's the sign of a remarkable man."

The 90-minute private memorial service was held at Liverpool Cathedral at 2pm on Monday 18 December.

In a post to social media platform X, Everton FC said: "Hundreds gathered at Liverpool Cathedral this afternoon to remember the wonderful life of our late Chairman, Bill Kenwright CBE, who passed away in October."

North West Metro Mayors Steve Rotheram and Andy Burnham were also in attendance.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: "If you think about what he did, not just on the football pitch, but off the football pitch as well, around Hillsborough.

"It was his idea to play, at Goodison Park, 'He ain't heavy, he's my brother'.

"And I feel like that gave me the inspiration to contact some of our local musicians and said do you think we could try and get this together and go for the Christmas number one in 2012.

"Of course it reached the Christmas number one but that was because of his idea before the song."

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