Tributes have been paid to comedian Freddie Starr following his death at the age of 76.

The entertainer, who became a household name after rising to fame in the 1970s, was found by a carer at his Spanish home in the resort of Mijas on the Costa Del Sol.

His death was confirmed on a Facebook page called Freddie Starr Official, which said: "This is Freddie's manager. Just to confirm Freddie has passed away. RIP to our greatest comedian of all time."

Davro: 'There was nobody funnier than Starr'

Fellow comedian Bobby Davro told Sky News: "Out of all the comedians from the past era, I would have to say he was the funniest man I've ever seen in my life.

"He could be quite uncomfortable to be with him actually, almost intimidating, but his physical comedy was as good as anyone's I've ever seen."


Davro added: "He suffered a bit of trauma in his life and had a bit of a stammer and struggled with delivering jokes, but it didn't matter with Freddie because he had this wonderful, unique personality. It was superb.

"I remember watching him once back in the late 80s and thinking, 'as long as I've got breath in my body, I'll never be as funny as Freddie Starr'. There's never going to be another Freddie."

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Russ Abbot, who appeared in Starr's Variety Madhouse comedy series in 1979, described the stand-up as a "loose comedy cannon".

The 71-year-old credited his appearance on that show with helping to launch his career, saying: "You never knew what he would do next. A natural funnyman and hilarious.

"He helped launch my career of course and for that I will always be grateful.

"He was hugely popular in his day, unique in his unpredictability and bursting with a talent not seen before or since."

Image: Starr, pictured in 2011, with fourth wife Sophie Lea

Fellow comic Jim Davidson added: "Just heard the news. Freddie Starr was the greatest."

And Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden said of Starr: "His style may have fallen out of comedy fashion & favour - but it's important to recognise his once huge popularity and fame.

"The outrageous & edgy parodies were infamous. I hope his legacy is not smalled down and he's remembered with a smile."

Starr was the subject of the Sun's infamous 1986 headline Freddie Starr Ate My Hamster - one of the best known headlines in the history of British tabloids.

He later said the story, which claimed Starr had placed a hamster between two slices of bread at a friend's home and eaten it, was fabricated by publicist Max Clifford.

Image: The Sun's infamous 1986 front page and its story covering Starr's death. Pic: Sun newspaper

In 2014, it was announced he would not be prosecuted over allegations of sexual offences due to insufficient evidence after spending 18 months on bail.

Starr had been arrested as part of Operation Yewtree, the police investigation which began following revelations about Jimmy Savile, in relation to 13 alleged victims.

No further action was taken over another alleged victim because it was not in the public interest, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

He claimed the allegations left him "suicidal".

Image: Starr and Tina Turner (second right) meet the Queen after the 1989 Royal Variety Performance

Merseyside-born Starr was the lead singer of Merseybeat group the Midniters in the early 1960s before rising to national prominence in the early 1970s on talent show Opportunity Knocks.

He performed on the 1970 Royal Variety Performance, impressing the audience with his impression of Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger.

Starr also left Muhammad Ali in stitches during the boxing great's last appearance on TV chat show Parkinson in 1981.

Known for his eccentric and often unpredictable behaviour, Starr starred in several TV shows during the 1990s including Freddie Starr (1993-94), The Freddie Starr Show (1996-98) and An Audience With Freddie Starr in 1996.

He also took part in the 2011 series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! but dropped out due to ill health.

It came after Starr suffered an allergic reaction in the Australian jungle and had to be taken to hospital after eating a meal of fermented egg and a camel toe.

Image: Starr, pictured in 2014, spent 18 months on bail

Starr moved to Spain after losing a damages claim against one of his accusers in 2015, which reportedly left him with an estimated bill of £1m.

He purportedly thanked fans for their messages of support in a Facebook post earlier this month.

A statement on the Freddie Starr Official page said he was "getting tired more now but otherwise I'm doing good".

"I just have to say thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all the kind comments and messages it really does mean a lot so thank you to each and everyone of you thanks so much," it added.

Starr had six children and was married four times, most recently separating from Sophie Lea - who was 39 years his junior - in 2015.