An ode to Barry Chuckle

Barry Chuckle died last week, and the whole country got a little bit sadder. There was no other emotion to feel really, because Barry Chuckle, or Barry Elliot to give him his legal name, was simply a good man. In an industry plagued by paedophiles and monsters, the Chuckle Brothers gave us all simple, harmless fun that we can still appreciate the memories of years later.

ChuckleVision was a show I watched religiously as a kid, without really knowing why. The crummy humour and groan-worthy puns didn’t exactly make for a ‘cool’ show, and even at the time it felt a bit old fashioned and out of date. But the two brothers were just so charismatic and entertaining, despite being over 50 and from Rotherham. Their background seemed like the opposite of what would actually appeal to modern children, but they somehow made it work nonetheless. In a career of over thirty years in children’s television, Barry and Paul Chuckle made whole generations of Brits love and respect them through easy, clean entertainment. Furthermore, they never disregarded this respect. Up to the modern day, no accusations have ever been raised against the comedy duo. In an era of television when it seemed every other presenter had any number of skeletons in the closet, the brothers just kept being fun. Even after their time on the small screen, The Chuckle Brothers could be seen roaming around the UK, performing in pantomimes and parodies. Occasionally they’d just turn up at nightclubs and festivals to deliver their old skits and give their audiences some happy nostalgia. And who could forget their charity music video with Tinchy Stryder, poking fun at themselves again for a good cause. Time and time again the Chuckle Brothers demonstrated that they were simply a class act. They were two blokes from Rotherham, dedicated to having a laugh and giving everyone a laugh while doing it.

With Barry Chuckle’s passing, it can only be presumed that his brother Paul will stop being as active and out there, although of course all the best to him if he goes it alone. However, either way, Barry’s death has drawn to a close over three decades of constant easy enjoyment and laughter. Barry Chuckle may not have ever been the most famous, but he was always a good entertainer and a great man. The world is just a little bit sadder without him.