Freddie Starr’s ex reckons fame went to his head and believes he was a “terrible husband”, a report has claimed.
According to The Sun, Betty Simpson – Freddie’s first wife, who he was married to for 12 years from 1960 – claimed the funnyman “liked the ladies too much” and struggled to leave his madcap persona on the stage.
She is reported to have told the news outlet: “He was OK when he first started in showbiz but the fame went to his head.
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“He was the best, he was brilliant while he was on stage but he was a terrible husband.”
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Betty, mum to Freddie’s son Carl, continued: “When we were together I wanted him to keep his feet on the ground and be Freddie Fowell, not Freddie Starr, when he came home.”
She also suggested the Lancashire-born telly fave – who had wanted to be a singer when he was younger – had squandered his talent.
Reflecting on the career progress of the man she married when he was just 17, Merseyside-based Betty added she felt Freddie was “better than that” when she saw him performing in a slapstick manner on TV with Des O’Connor.
Freddie, married five times to four different women, was found dead alone in his Spanish home on Thursday aged 76.
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He admitted in his last Facebook post that he was “getting tired more”, despite insisting he was otherwise fine.
Freddie wrote: “I just have to say thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all the kind comments and messages it really does mean a lot so thank you to each and everyone of you thanks so much. Freddie.”
Medics have confirmed Freddie, who suffered a major heart attack in April 2010 and underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery, died of heart disease.
A year after his heart attack he had been forced to pull out of I’m A Celebrity following just a few days after falling ill before making it into the ITV jungle camp.
Freddie is survived by his six children – Carl, Stacey, Donna, Tara, Jody and Ebony.
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