Leigh Francis previously opened up about the tragic death of his father, admitting he “felt angry that I’d lost a parent”.
The beloved comedian has been a staple on screens for years thanks to his characters like Bo’ Selecta! and Keith Lemon.
However, years ago Leigh – who is on Sunday Brunch today (April 12) – was hit with heartbreak when his dad died from cancer.
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Leigh Francis on his father’s tragic death
In an interview from 2024, Leigh opened up about his father who died aged 47 from throat cancer.
“I was in shock, even though he’d been ill for two years. Initially I felt angry that I’d lost a parent. I stayed in for a while. I didn’t see anyone because I didn’t want to put upset on my friends,” he told Yorkshire Evening Post.
Leigh added: “One of my friends said, ‘I didn’t call you because I didn’t want you crying and embarrassing yourself’, which I appreciated. He made me laugh.”
Leigh ‘felt like I was underwater’ after hearing dad died
Meanwhile in his memoir, Leigh, Myself And I, Leigh also discussed his father’s death, revealing he has not recovered from his passing.
“It was a shock when he died, I had to grow up. Life suddenly wasn’t all silly fun and games. He passed and I freaked out,” Leigh wrote.
He added: “I screamed, it was numbing. It felt like I was underwater, being punched in the face, I’m sure I blacked out a few times from all the emotional punches. Everything in the world was just different.”
And during an appearance on Loose Women in 2024, Leigh said about his dad dying: “He was 47 and the weirdest thing is I’m older than my dad, that’s a weird feeling.”
It was horrific
Leigh continued: “When I was doing the audio book, the audio book was the hardest thing I’ve ever done…
“There’s a sound producer there, that you don’t know and you’re crying in front of him. I was crying and he said: ‘Do you want to stop?’ and I said: ‘No, just keep going.'”
Leigh was then asked which part of the book made him cry. He said: “My dad! When you’re writing it, I remember tearing up writing it, but saying it outloud and reading it, it was horrific I felt.”
Talking about how old he was when his dad died, Leigh revealed: “I was 21! God, it’s getting serious isn’t it, this is very serious. Don’t, I’ll start crying.”
Watch Leigh on Sunday Brunch on Sunday (April 12) at 10am on Channel 4.
Read more: Exploring Leigh Francis: The man behind Keith Lemon and Bo’ Selecta! controversy
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