Last updated at 20:14 09 March 2008

A devoted Status Quo fan who plunged into depression after his wife left him for guitarist Rick Parfitt has hanged himself at home, it emerged today.

Relatives of Nigel Hewitt, who introduced wife Angie to his idol, say he killed himself because he could not face life without her.

Lookalike Mr Hewitt reportedly slumped even deeper into depression when the affair was exposed because he was banned from backstage parties.

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Threesome: Nigel Hewitt, right, killed himself after his ex-wife Angie left him for Rick Parfitt

The 48-year-old electrician was found dead at home in Kings Lynn, Norfolk, on his ex-wife's 42nd birthday two weeks ago.

He had just discovered that Angie - whose affair with Rick eventually fizzled out - had remarried last year.

It proved to be the final straw.

Mr Hewitt's sister Sonia Watson, 44, told the Sunday Mirror: "He clung to the hope she would come back. She moved on with her life - but he couldn't."

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Two's company: Angie and Parfitt get close after a Status Quo gig before leaving Nigel

In 1995, a day after marrying Angie, Mr Parfitt introduced his new bride to his hero at a Quo gig in Birmingham, where Rick flirted with her.

But it wasn't until December 2003 that, astonishingly, Mr Hewitt agreed to let Rick sleep with his wife - as long as he could join in.

Afterwards Angie lost interest in her husband and started spending more time with Rick. Eventually they split up.

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Lookalike: Nigel idolised Parfitt and was such a big Quo fan he named his son Rick Francis

But Mr Hewitt's father, also called Nigel, 69, said yesterday: "We don't blame Rick. The fact is Nigel never got over his split with Angie."