Inside the pathetic final days of disgraced TV star Rolf Harris

Despised pedophile Rolf Harris spent his final days battling neck cancer and being fed by a tube before succumbing to his illness at the age of 93.

The former children’s artist – who passed away two weeks ago – was struggling to talk or eat while living a solitary existence in his £5 million home in Berkshire.

Harris has lived as a near recluse since being released from prison in 2017, accompanied only by his wife Alwen and their caretakers.

The 91-year-old, who had always stood by Harris and refused to believe he was evil, also suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and used a wheelchair.

The couple’s daughter, Bindi, had no comment when asked about her father’s illness, while a family friend said she had “had nothing to say about him for years.”

Harris has already been cremated after a ‘secret’ burial, MailOnline understands.

A statement from his family, released through his lawyer, said: ‘This is to confirm that Rolf Harris recently passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends and is now buried.

“They ask you to respect their privacy. No further comment will be made.’

Private investigator, author and former police officer William Merritt, author of the book Rolf Harris: The Truth behind the Trials, told MailOnline that he had last met him in late 2022 and that he was seriously ill.

He said, “Rolf has been very ill. When I saw him, he could talk to me. He was there, but he was clearly unwell’.

Mr Merritt said Rolf has had neck cancer and there are serious concerns about his health, although he was ‘doing well’.

Because of the cancer, Rolf is said to have ‘gargled’ while talking.

His wife Alwen – to whom he was married for 65 years – is also seriously ill and suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. “She’s very vulnerable,” he said.

It understood that Harris’s health was deteriorating following the sudden death of his beloved poodle earlier in 2022.

Harris has already been buried in a ‘secret’ burial, MailOnline understands. He has been seen with his wife and their daughter, Bindi, in a family photo

Harris married his sculptor wife Alwen in March 1958 after meeting at art school. The couple has one daughter Bindi.

Best known for hits Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport and Jake The Peg, as well as a string of children’s TV hits, Harris also famously painted the 80th birthday portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

He was the face of British Paints for over three decades before being dumped by the brand when he was arrested in 2013.

The following year, Harris was found guilty of 12 counts of indecent assault and sentenced to five years and nine months in prison.

The attacks include one on an eight-year-old signature hunter, two on girls in their early teens and a catalog of abuse against his daughter’s boyfriend of over 16.

He was paroled in May 2017 after serving three years behind bars.

The £5 million house in Berkshire where Harris spent his final days as a virtual recluse

Of the 12 convictions, one was overturned on appeal in November 2017, and a jury chose not to convict him in two other cases in the same year.

The convicted pedophile led a secluded life in the English village of Bray.

Mr Merritt said last year that Rolf now prefers to be alone and is not “especially fond of children” because he “hates noise”.

‘(He’s) battling a cancer of the neck, and gargles when he talks. It’s hard to understand him,’ said Mr. Merritt.

“As soon as one of the two people enters the room, he turns back into a big boy. He’s an artistic type and he’ll try to perform on command, even if he’s not feeling well.’

Harris’s health has deteriorated in recent years and he was hospitalized during his time in prison when his diabetes spiraled out of control.

“He is in poor health and has deteriorated rapidly. He doesn’t get out anymore and when he does it’s only with his caretaker,” a neighbor said in 2019.