Shropshire Star

Cheggers' last months in "friendly" county

For a generation, he will always be the effervescent, bubbly personality, known for his high-energy appearances on Multi-Coloured Swap Shop.

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Keith Chegwin at Whitchurch Food and Drink Festival

But Keith Chegwin, who died yesterday from a progressive lung condition, found happiness in his last months as an adopted Salopian, living in the tranquil climes of north Shropshire that he fell in love with as a youngster.

The 60-year-old and his wife Maria moved to their rural idyll just outside Whitchurch in February this year, and made one of his last public appearances in May this year when he opened Whitchurch Food and Drink Festival.

During an interview with the Star, he spoke about how he loved the county's peaceful character.

"I’ve never met such a friendly bunch of people in my life," he said.

“Everyone chats to you in the shops, it’s just very, very friendly here.

"There's a slower pace of life, the people are always happy to help out

"I was in the pub and a guy offered me his cue, and even offered to chalk it for me. It is a really nice atmosphere."

It was not the first time he had mingled with folk in the county. Three years ago he stunned 56-year-old Garry Latham from Stirchley in Telford when he turned up at his work with a cheque for £100,000. Mr Latham had won the cash in an online prize draw.

Cheggers, as he was invariably known, died at home with his second wife Maria following a long battle with the lung disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

In his last months, the 60-year-old was tended to by carers from Severn Hospice.

A statement from his family said: "We are heartbroken to share the news that Keith Chegwin sadly passed away following a long-term battle with a progressive lung condition, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, which rapidly worsened towards the end of this year.

"Keith died peacefully at home shortly after midnight on the 11th of December. His wife Maria, his daughter Rose and his son Ted were by his side.

"We would like to take this opportunity to thank Severn Hospice for the kindness, support and care they have shown us all over the last few weeks.

"Keith was a loving husband, father, son, brother, uncle and friend. We would respectfully ask to be left to mourn his passing in private."

Heather Palin, director of care at Severn Hospice, said: “Our thoughts are with Keith’s family at this sad time.

"Everyone at the charity is proud of the care we provide to all of our patients and the support we are able to offer families when they need us most.

"I am sure it was a comfort to both Keith and his loved ones that he was able to be cared for at home by our specialist Hospice at Home nurses.”

The Liverpool-born star, who shot to fame in the late 1970s as a roving reporter with hit children's television programme Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, was the younger brother of Radio 1 DJ Janice Long, and also had a twin brother Jeff.

When he spoke to the Star in May, he recalled fond memories of a family holiday in Shropshire as a youngster.

"I always remember coming down this way on the canals as a kid, we travelled down to Wem,” he said.

“My dad fell in and we travelled along a viaduct and put a hole in the boat ­– it was disastrous as a holiday, but the scenery is beautiful.”

As a youngster he entered an end-of-the-pier talent competition in Rhyl, and joined a concert party that toured pubs and clubs of the north-west called The Happy Wanderers.

An appearance on Yorkshire Television's children's talent show Junior Showtime brought him to the attention of Phil Collins' mother June, of the Barbara Speake Stage School. She invited him to London to audition for the stage show Mame with Ginger Rogers. As part of a play he performed in at the school, Chegwin sang the first song that Phil Collins ever wrote.

As a youngster he began appearing on children's TV, and as a 14-year-old he played the role of Fleance in Roman Polanski's film Macbeth. Two years later he had a bit part in the 1973 film The Optimists of Nine Elms, which starred Peter Sellers. Also that year he appeared in the pilot episode of Open All Hours and went on to play smaller parts in The Liver Birds, The Adventures of Black Beauty, My Old Man, and Z-Cars.

His cheeky personality also meant he was a natural choice for advertisers of products such as Pepsi, Tizer and Cadbury Creme Eggs.

He tried his hand as a singer, releasing a record on the Pye label, and did four years at BBC Radio 1 on Tony Blackburn's weekend morning show.

Speaking of Chegwin's death, Blackburn said: "I’m absolutely devastated to hear that my friend Keith Chegwin has died.

"He was one of the nicest people I have ever known and over the years we did shows together and became great friends."

He appeared on Swap Shop from 1976 to 1982, where he met his future wife Maggie Philbin as the pair met up with youngsters at venues including the Ironbridge Gorge Museum at Coalbrookdale.

He later reprised his role on a similar show, Saturday Superstore, presented by DJ Mike Read.

As well as Swap Shop and Superstore, he also hosted his own children's TV series Cheggers Plays Pop, where teams of youngsters competed in physical and mental challenges, to the soundtrack of the latest pop music of the day. The series ran from 1978 to 1986, but in the late 1980s his career began to wane as he battled with alcoholism.

His marriage to Philbin ended in divorce in 1993, but Chegwin enjoyed a revival in his career after landing a role on Channel 4's Big Breakfast. His Down Your Doorstep would see him visit neighbourhoods around the country shouting: "Wake up you beggars, it's Cheggers!"

He went on to host the show and, in 1999, went on to present a revived version of the 1970s gameshow It's a Knockout on Channel 5. He also presented the controversial nudist gameshow Naked Jungle in 2000.

His Big Breakfast co-star Gaby Roslin was heartbroken when she heard the news of his death.

"No. I can’t bear the news," she said.

"Not him. I was blessed to work with Keith Chegwin on the Big Breakfast and he was a happy and joyous man. So generous and kind. So, so, sad, my love to his family."

Former boxer Frank Bruno also paid tribute describing Chegwin as "a great guy".

"I worked with him a lot over the years," he said. "He was a great entertainer."