Freddie Starr’s family hadn’t spoken to him for years says friend and carer who lived with him
THE friend and carer who lived with the late Freddie Starr has begged his estranged family to get in touch following his death — saying they have not spoken in years. Freddie had six children from his four wives — splitting from the last, Sophie Lea, 38, in 2015. Pal Nelly Georgieva, 47, said: “I […]
THE friend and carer who lived with the late Freddie Starr has begged his estranged family to get in touch following his death — saying they have not spoken in years.
Freddie had six children from his four wives — splitting from the last, Sophie Lea, 38, in 2015.
Pal Nelly Georgieva, 47, said: “I hope to hear from his family, his daughter or son. I don’t know what to do. I want the embassy to call me, to tell me what’s happening, what they’re doing with him.”
Bulgarian Nelly found Freddie’s body in his home in Mijas on Thursday as she returned from a shopping trip. Spanish authorities later confirmed he died of a heart attack.
She said the comic spent his final hours besotted with a three-week-old tabby cat dubbed Little Freddie.
She said: “He spent all day giving Little Freddie kisses and cuddles — he has the same eyes as Freddie and his face is cheeky like his.”
Nelly moved into the apartment complex with Freddie after initially being his cleaner and later caring for the ageing funnyman.
She said Freddie quit smoking, but needed oxygen apparatus to help him breathe.
She added: “I lived with him for four years. I was a good friend. I loved him — not romantically or sexually, but his personality as a friend and companion.
“And Freddie loved me. He would say, ‘Nell, you’re my f***ing angel’. He was always smiling and telling jokes. He was a great person to me.”
Nelly said Freddie had been taken to hospital by ambulance twice in the last two years, but appeared fine on the day of his death.
She added: “I went to the shop for 30 minutes and came back and he was dead. He was fine before. He was watching TV and playing with his cat and nothing was bothering him.
“But he had heart problems. He was in a coma after an operation. When I met him he was ill. He had asthma and problems with lungs. He had many problems but I never knew he was bad.”
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Nelly also admitted that for a long time she was unaware of the huge fame her friend once had.
She added: “Freddie was normal. He never acted like a star. One time we went for coffee and people kept asking for photos. I assumed they were friends.
“Then one day he showed me his impressions of Mick Jagger and Roy Orbison and I realised these were not friends — they were fans.”