Beloved BBC chef Clarissa Dickson Wright passed away with practically nothing in her bank account, forcing the sale of her belongings at auction to clear outstanding debts. The celebrated cook had just £9,000 to her name when she died in March 2014 aged 66, official records reveal.

Despite frittering away a £2.8million inheritance during years of alcohol dependency, the Two Fat Ladies star still owed £17,000 to HM Revenue and Customs. Yet after her treasured possessions went under the hammer, generating around £40,000, her goddaughter Sara Wain-Heapy received £33,000.

Admirers snapped up 400 lots, including a sketch by the chef's artist friend Joseph Oppenheimer, which fetched £300, reports the Express . Additional items included a gun-cleaning kit, bought for £50, and 19th-century kit

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