Freddie Starr died 'penniless' as kind-hearted stranger paid for his funeral

Comedy icon Freddie Starr was given a fitting farewell in the UK after a generous stranger stepped in to cover his funeral costs.

The star, who had been a household name in the 1970s and 80s with his own BBC show, died penniless following a heart attack in 2019 at the age of 76.

At the time of his death, he was living in a modest one-bedroom flat on Spain's Costa del Sol, reportedly on the brink of homelessness.

Read more EastEnders' Cheryl Fergison 'retraining brain' after devastating stroke

Concerns were raised that the eccentric comedian would face a pauper's funeral in Spain - a basic taxpayer-funded burial for those without means, often in an unmarked or shared grave - a far cry from his wish to be laid to rest back in Britain.

His Bulgarian carer Nelly Georgieva, who found