Ronnie Corbett wouldn't let Jimmy Tarbuck see him in the lead up to death

1 April 2016

Ronnie Corbett refused to see his friend Jimmy Tarbuck after he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

Jimmy Tarbuck

The late comedian, who passed away yesterday (31.03.16) at the age of 85, wouldn't let the 76-year-old funnyman, with whom he was close pals, visit him in the months leading up to his death because he was ashamed of his condition.

Asked if he knew about Ronnie's battle with motor neurone disease, he said: "Yes I did know he wasn't very well and I knew exactly what he had and he didn't want to see me - he said ,'Look, I don't want to see you like this.'

"But he'd speak to me on the phone and when you did anything with him or for him you always got a letter from him that's how correct he was. I did know unfortunately that he wasn't very well."

Despite being devastated by his loss, Jimmy is keen to remember the good times he has shared with Ronnie throughout the duration of their friendship.

Speaking on 'Good Morning Britain' this morning (01.04.16), he said: "He was a great comedian, he was a very good actor, but more importantly he was a very nice man. He was a very correct guy.

"I always had a laugh with him and sometimes it was on the golf course and I shouldn't have been laughing at him and he would lose his temper and that would make me laugh more."

The diminutive comedian's wife Anne Hart revealed last night that Ronnie was secretly battling with the illness - a progressive disease involving degeneration of the motor neurons and wasting of the muscles - in the lead up to his death.

She said: "It became a 24-hour job with Ron getting gradually weaker. He was not in pain, and up to the last 48 hours, he was fully conscious and aware of everything.

"Some days all he managed was a few pieces of melon, a glass of champagne, and a Liquorice Allsort. His weight dropped drastically and he simply began to fade away."

The 'Two Ronnies' star - whose cause of death is yet to be announced - is survived by his wife Anne, whom he married in 1965, and their two grown-up daughters Emma and Sophie.