Tommy Cannon has revealed the moment his comedy pal Bobby Ball fell ill as they left their final gig.
The pair, who met in the early 1960s, hit the big time with TV appearances in the Seventies which led to them getting their own series The Cannon And Ball Show, which ran from 1979 to 1988.
Shortly before his death, Bobby had played a show with Tommy at the Viva Club in Blackpool and then tested positive for covid shortly afterwards.
Tommy recalled his best friend saying he was “not feeling too special” and then leaving the venue he struggled with his breathing.
Tommy said: "The funny thing about it, bless him, is he walked down the stairs to the car, because it was an underground car park, and he was panting and puffing.
"I took all the stuff off him that he was carrying and I waited in the car park to make sure he'd got in his car and drove off OK, which he did.
"Then on the Sunday, he went into hospital, and I just couldn't believe it. One of his lads rang me and said, 'Dad's in hospital."
Initially he joked on the ward and FaceTimed Tommy with nurses on the ward but then his condition deteriorated.
Speaking on The God Cast podcast(PLS REF), Tommy added: “The biggest problem for me was I couldn’t visit him because of Covid regulations. Then 10 days later he passed away. It was so quick. I didn’t know where I were.
“I felt like I’d had my right arm taken off me.”
