In the latest episode of On the Marie Curie Couch, bereavement expert Jason Davidson meets Paul Chuckle.
In the latest episode of On the Marie Curie Couch, bereavement expert Jason Davidson meets Paul Chuckle.
Born Paul Elliott, in Rotherham in 1947, entertainer Paul made his name as one half of the Chuckle Brothers, alongside his beloved brother, Barry. Their BBC children's TV series, Chucklevision, ran for 22 years, and gave rise to the much repeated 'To me, to you' catchphrase.
The pair enjoyed success on stage and screen for more than 50 years, until Barry's death in August 2018. Paul has a passion for DJ-ing and he lives in Doncaster, with his wife Sue.
In this episode of On the Marie Curie Couch, Paul opens up about how Barry's death affected him. He also talks about other times he's experienced grief, including when his daughter died, aged just three months.
Missing the laughter
"The biggest thing I miss is the fun Barry and I had working on stage. At the drop of a hat he could make me laugh, and vice versa. I used to lay there and think, 'I'm never going to have that any more, you know, never again will we have that laughter together.'
"When you lose somebody close to you, it hurts, it really physically hurts. The only way to get round it is to talk to people, grieve, don't be 'I'm a Rotherham man, I don't cry,' you know, let it out of you. It's like steam, having a lid on something, take the lid off, let the steam out. It's the same with crying, it lets that physical pain out."
Going back on stage without Barry
"That first time I went on, doing a pantomime on my own, I stood there, I was fine, not nervous or anything, I'd got it all rehearsed. And just the last minute before the music played, I suddenly thought, 'You know, this is the first time I’ve been on without Barry,' you know, and I'm sure he patted me on the back, saying, 'Come on, I'm behind you, Paul.'"
Listen now
Tap the link near the top of this page to listen to Paul’s chat with JasonAlternatively, listen to or download it via Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you'd prefer, you can read a full transcript of the episode. Be sure to like and subscribe so you know when we’ve uploaded a new episode – there are more conversations coming soon.
Content note: discussion of death and grief with reference to themes/topics that might be triggering or upsetting.
