Freddie Starr is said to have died penniless and estranged from his six children

The Daily Mail has now reported he was so broke when he died there were plans to give the stand-up a pauper's burial in Spain before a stranger stepped in to pay for his repatriation and funeral.

Funeral director Michael Fogg, from Sheffield, said he eventually covered the costs to ensure Freddie's body could be returned to England.

Michael was quoted by the Mail saying: "Anyone who can make a funeral director laugh must be a bloody good comedian.

"And Freddie Starr could make me laugh.

"He shouldn't be buried in foreign land, he should be brought back to be in his own country. For those asking why I am paying, well it is my money, it is my business and that is what I want to spend my money on. He should be reunited with the people he loved and his family."

Freddie's carer Nelly, from Bulgaria, found his body and later told the Daily Record he had been out of contact with relatives for years.

She said: "Freddie had bad feelings about back home, he felt the British people had deserted him. It would be terrible if Freddie ends up being buried in a pauper's grave. I don't want to see that happen but I'm worried if I tried to do something about it his relatives would object."

Born in Liverpool in 1943, Freddie fronted the Merseybeat group the Midniters in the 1960s before breaking through on Opportunity Knocks and the Royal Variety Performance.

His career flourished during the 1970s and '80s with television shows including Freddie Starr (1993-94), The Freddie Starr Show (1996-98) and An Audience with Freddie Starr in 1996.

In 1986 he became the subject of The Sun's infamous "Freddie Starr Ate My Hamster" headline.

He also hosted Freddie Starr's Variety Madhouse in 1979 alongside Russ Abbot, Mike Newman, Toni Palmer, Norman Collier and Bella Emberg.

Known for unpredictable stunts, he sparked outrage in 1997 after throwing live chickens into an audience at the Britannia Theatre in Great Yarmouth.

Audience member Kerry Duthie said: "It was absolutely wicked. People were screaming and there were feathers flying in the air.

"The chickens were flapping about in a panic. I am not a big animal rights supporter, but to see that happen was so cruel."

Freddie dismissed the criticism, saying: "There is nothing wrong with what happened and it will be left in the video. It was not cruel at all. As far as the chickens go, it was a one-off.

"They have a professional handler and were kept in the cool outside the theatre before going on stage."

Freddie married four times - first to Betty, then to Sandy, later to Donna, and finally to Sophie in 2013 - and fathered six children.