The Morning’s Gyles Brandreth has revealed he ‘blames himself’ for the death of legendary TV entertainer Rod Hull.
Rod, who was famous for his emu attacks on Michael Parkinson and several other famous faces, tragically died in 1999 after falling from the roof of his bungalow and suffering a serious skull fracture and chest injuries.
He was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.
ITV star and former MP Gyles, 76, has now revealed that Rod had complained to him days earlier about his poor TV connection and ‘encouraged’ him to ‘get a ladder’ and climb onto the roof.
Gyles admitted he feels responsible for his friend’s death after taking his advice while watching a half-time Champions League match between Manchester United and Inter Milan.
The Morning’s Gyles Brandreth has revealed he ‘blames himself’ for the death of legendary entertainer Rod Hull
Rod, who was famous for his emu attacks on Michael Parkinson and several other famous faces, tragically died in 1999 after falling from the roof of his bungalow and suffering a serious skull fracture and chest injuries (1990 photo)
Former MP Gyles, 76, has now revealed that Rod had complained to him days earlier about his poor TV connection and ‘encouraged’ him to ‘get a ladder’ and climb onto the roof.
Speaking of his Rosebud podcastGyles admitted: ‘I killed a man – it was Rod Hull, the emu man.
“We were in the theater, we were at the first night of Animal Crackers, it was a show about the Marx brothers.
‘Terrible, terrible weather that night. And he was sitting next to me, and he was complaining throughout the show, almost interrupting the show, saying he wanted to go home because he wanted to watch football but his Sky antenna wasn’t broadcasting properly.
‘And I said, “Don’t whine about it, if you want to watch the telly, get a ladder, climb on the roof and fix it Rod.”
“And after the show, in this stormy weather, he went home, got out of a ladder, climbed the ladder and tried to fix the antenna.
‘Unfortunately the wind was so strong that he fell backwards from the ladder and committed suicide.
“So I wasn’t really there, but I had been cheering him on.”
Rod was 63 when he died and the incident was ruled accidental by an inquest.
Gyles admitted he feels responsible for his friend’s death after taking his advice while watching a Champions League match between Manchester United and Inter Milan at half-time (photo 1976)
On his Rosebud podcast, Gyles admitted: “I killed a man – it was Rod Hull, the emu man. I said, “Don’t whine about it, if you want to watch the television, get a ladder, climb on the roof and fix it Rod”
Gyles added, “And after the show, in this stormy weather, he went home, got off a ladder to try to fix the antenna. Unfortunately the wind was very strong and he fell backwards. So I wasn’t really there, but I had been cheering him on’ (pictured in 1987 with Grotbags)
Gyles went on to explain how Rod included his iconic emu in his funeral, just like he did had caused a knocking sound to be heard as he entered his coffin.
He added: ‘It was a great funeral though, because at his funeral the coffin came in, and as the coffin was carried in it was a kind of funeral. [constant tapping sound].
‘He made sure that there was a beak sound in the coffin, as if the emu was also in the coffin.’
Children’s television program Rod ‘n’ Emu aired on CITV in the 1990s and starred Rod who created and wrote all episodes as himself, with Carol Lee Scott as Grotbags and Freddie Stevens as her assistants Croc the crocodile and Redford the robot.
