Orville The Duck Ventriloquist Keith Harris Dead At 67
Entertainer and ventriloquist Keith Harris – best known for his Orville the Duck puppet – has died at the age of 67, a report from the BBC says. The news of the star’s tragic death was officially announced by Harris’ agent, Robert C Kelly, via Twitter.
Sad to announce death from Cancer of my client, dear friend and great talent, Keith Harris #keithharrisandorville http://t.co/ML5vL1QbJm
— Robert C Kelly (@TheRobertCKelly) April 28, 2015
Keith Harris was a beloved entertainer who – alongside being the puppeteer behind Orville the Duck and Cuddles the Monkey – hosted the BBC One programme The Keith Harris Show and had a top ten hit in 1982 with “I Wish I Could Fly,” which he sang with Orville.
Messages have already begun pouring in with fans and other entertainers sharing their condolences on Twitter.
Another TRUE entertainment star leaves us. So so sad! #KeithHarris rest well, a great inspiration. pic.twitter.com/rRmZaIXv1d
— Dick and Dom (@dickndom) April 28, 2015
We’re very sad to hear that entertainer and TV great Keith Harris has died of cancer pic.twitter.com/QN6Bs2bg0h
— Cancer Research UK (@CR_UK) April 28, 2015
So sad to hear of the death of Keith Harris. RIP.
— Les Dennis (@LesDennis) April 28, 2015
The Guardian reported that the entertainer had been battling with cancer, with Keith Harris himself tearfully announcing the news on stage in April 2014.
Keith Harris’ agent spoke about his illness, saying that he spent his last months, “at his second home in Portugal, taking walks along the Blackpool seafront and sitting in the park eating ice-cream and watching the world go by.”
“I spoke to Keith most days, whether we had business to do or not. I think I laughed every single time we spoke…Keith was not only a technically great ventriloquist, he was also a gifted mimic and an extraordinarily funny man both on stage and off. Perhaps even rarer than that in showbiz, he was a thoroughly decent man, a great friend and a wonderful father and husband.”
Harris was originally diagnosed with cancer of the spleen in 2013, but continued to work in pantomimes and holiday camps. Despite undergoing surgery and given the all clear, the cancer spread to his liver and he was informed that there was no further treatment available.
Despite being known largely as a children’s entertainer, the ventriloquist reinvented his act to appeal more to students and adults with his show Duck Off. He was also asked to appear in Ricky Gervais’ show Extras but turned down the role, telling reporters that he thought the script was, “pure filth.”
“I turned it down. I’m not desperate.”
Leaving behind wife Sarah and his three children Skye, Kitty, and Shenton, Keith Harris will forever be missed by fans and entertainers alike, but will be fondly remembered as the voice of the cute Orville the Duck.
[Photo by Reg Lancaster/Express Newspapers/Getty Images]
