OHMYGOSSIP — Gorden Kaye battled with dementia for two years before his death.
The ‘Allo ‘Allo!’ star – who tragically passed away at a care home on Monday morning (23.01.17) at the age of 75 – was suffering from the memory disorder in the years leading up to his death.
Raymond Shuttleworth, the husband of Gorden’s cousin Sheila visited him two weeks ago and noticed his sad decline.
He told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “He didn’t recognise us any longer. He didn’t even recognise himself. Gorden was sat up and talking but he didn’t know us any more, he was saying all sorts of things but it didn’t mean anything. He was in his own little world.
“He had amazing staff looking after him, they have been incredible. He had no brothers or sisters, just a few cousins. He never married and was a lone survivor till the end. It was just a case of surviving and he was very lonely. That is all very sad. He always appreciated his fans saying, ‘They’re my bread and butter’ and he always stopped to sign autographs in the street.””
Despite the popular TV series having wrapped back in 1992, Gorden’s co-star Sue Hodge – who played his on-screen love interest Mimi Labonq – had reportedly remained close to the actor and visited him at his care home in Ilkley, West Yorkshire regularly.
An insider added to the Daily Star newspaper: “Sue was apparently very good and would often come and visit him … Gorden hadn’t been capable of performing for a few years now but I think he’ll be remembered as one of our best comic actors.”
Gorden had suffered memory problems for some time after a plank of wood smashed into his windscreen and left him needing brain surgery in 1990.