Chuckle Brother Paul to set off on charity ‘thank you’ tour across UK

Comedian Paul Elliott, best known as one half of the Chuckle Brothers, will set off on a journey across the length of the UK as part of a charity “thank you” tour.

Paul Chuckle is marking 40 years of Marie Curie’s Great Daffodil Appeal and hopes to raise £40,000.

On Tuesday, the 78-year-old will set off from John O’Groats on his journey down to Land’s End.

Along the way, he will be meeting people while riding a yellow “Daff bike” – a Marie Curie-branded version of the famous two-seater Chuckle bike.

The comedian has been an official ambassador for Marie Curie since October 2016 and the charity’s nurses provided end-of-life care to his brother, Barry, who died from bone cancer aged 73 in 2018.

The charity appeal supports those with terminal illnesses and their families.

Paul said: “I’m incredibly proud to be a Marie Curie ambassador. Marie Curie helped care for my brother Barry at the end of his life in 2018, so it’s a charity very close to my heart.

“When you think about it, there’s only one chance to give someone the best possible end of life.”

He continued: “That’s why the Great Daffodil Appeal is so important. Every penny raised will help Marie Curie provide expert end-of-life care and support to people with a terminal illness and those close to them.

“So, when I heard it was the 40th anniversary of the Great Daffodil Appeal, I knew I wanted to do something big and something fun.

“Whilst I’d love to be able to cycle the iconic John O’Groats to Land’s End route like so many incredible fundraisers do, I’m really excited to get to travel the route with the ‘Daff bike’, raise lots of money for the charity and meet as many Marie Curie supporters, volunteers and staff as possible to say a huge thank you – from me to you!”

Matthew Reed, chief executive officer at Marie Curie, said:  “Every three minutes, someone dies without the end-of-life care they need.

“The Great Daffodil Appeal gives Marie Curie the chance to provide expert end-of-life care and support to more people, whatever their illness.

“Care that protects someone’s dignity – instead of leaving them alone or in avoidable pain.

“A huge thank you to Paul for taking on this mammoth tour of the UK and thank you to our loyal supporters and volunteers for the last 40 years of support for the Great Daffodil Appeal.”