Devastated Bobby Davro went back to work performing just one day after his beloved fiancé Vicky Wright passed away – vowing to perform through the pain so as not to disappoint his fans who bought tickets to the show.
The 64-year-old was devastated when his partner – the daughter of the late England captain Billy Wright and Beverley Sisters singer Joy Beverley – passed away on Wednesday after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer.
Despite his grief, Bobby stepped on stage at the Tivoli Theater in Wimborne on Thursday to perform four shows for his friend Jim Davidson’s Ustreme online comedy channel.
Jim, 69, took to his YouTube channel to confirm Bobby’s performance and praised the fellow showbiz legend for being a “trooper” who knows the show must go on.
The former Big Break presenter said: ‘We have to say goodbye to Vicky Wright. It’s a sad old age. I’m here in Wimborne at the Tivoli Theater on the set of Ustream’s Left, Right and Centre, the award-winning panel show and sitting in Miles Crawford’s chair and we’re all a little quiet today.
Difficult: The devastated Bobby Davro went back to work performing just a day after his beloved fiancé Vicky Wright passed away
Sad: The 64-year-old was devastated when his partner – the daughter of the late England captain Billy Wright and Beverley Sisters singer Joy Beverley – passed away on Wednesday after a short battle with pancreatic cancer
“Not just because we miss our friend Vicky Wright, but because her fiancé Bobby Davro shows up in 15 minutes, he knows he’s determined to appear on these shows.
‘Of course he didn’t come yesterday and I was there and Robert Hart was there, but Bobby – the old trooper – he wiped away his tears and he’s back today to tape four shows here at the Tivoli Theater in Wimborne.
“Tickets are on sale, we have two shows this afternoon and two shows from 7:30pm and we’re all a little down thinking about Vicky.”
Jim also remembered his girlfriend Vicky and paid tribute to her as a person, loyal partner to Bobby and her wicked sense of humor.
He said: ‘Ustreme members know all about Vicky and for those of you who aren’t subscribers you may have seen little clips on YouTube of Sunday Night Live where we had the poor girl read the children’s poems and then did as much as we were supposed to could possibly put her off and I would write the wrong words and put dirty words in there and someone would have a fart machine and try to make her laugh and she endured it all she was just amazing.
“She’s been Bobby’s longtime squeezer and girlfriend and fiancée and they were a great couple. She was the daughter of Billy Wright and Joy Beverley. The Beverley Sisters were like the white version of The Supremes in the ’60s, I guess.’
“It’s so sad she’s not here. We all deal with grief in different ways. I was talking to someone today, as you get older you go to funerals more than weddings, I’m going to Bob Potter’s funeral soon.
“So Vicky, up there somewhere talking to Jethro and her dad. Goodbye from all of us watching on YouTube, and from all your friends and our members on Ustreme, sleep tight honey.”
Strong: Despite his grief, Bobby took the stage at the Tivoli Theater in Wimborne on Thursday to perform four shows for his friend Jim Davidson’s Ustreme online comedy channel (pictured)
Angry: Jim, 69, (above) took to his YouTube channel to confirm Bobby’s appearance and praised the fellow showbiz legend for being a ‘trooper’ who knows the show must go on
Horrible: Vicky, 63, was diagnosed last year with pancreatic cancer – the same cancer that killed her father Billy Wright
Tragic news: Vicky’s daughter Kelly announced the very sad news on Twitter on Wednesday night
Jim also shared a clip of Vicky reading one of her rude bedtime stories to Ustreme, in what is believed to be her last appearance before her illness.
Last weekend, Bobby courageously opened up about Vicky’s battle with cancer, admitting it had been “horrific and extremely painful” to see the love of his life fall so ill.
Bobby said, “It’s horrible to see someone as beautiful as her with this disease. It’s so sad. It’s extremely, extremely, extremely painful…
My best advice for someone in a similar position is that laughter is the best medicine.
“I always remember this quote: ‘Don’t let the world change your smile – let your smile change the world.’
It comes after it was revealed that Bobby poignantly admitted that he was “drinking, smoking and not taking care of myself” while watching his fiancé lose her battle with cancer.
The TV comic, 64, added that he has been suffering from extreme ‘stress’ since his long-term partner Vicky Wright, 63, was diagnosed with the disease – which eventually claimed her life on Wednesday.
He spoke on a podcast called Eyes And Teeth hosted by comedic ventriloquist Steve Hewlett. It was recorded a few days before her death.
He said of how he coped with the pain of watching his old love battle the disease, “I drink, I smoke, I don’t take care of myself.” I have a little sadness in my life – my lovely fiancée unfortunately has cancer and that has caused a lot of stress.’
Former EastEnders actor and panto loyalist Bobby also said he’s taken a break from social media to look after Vicky, who he became engaged to in December after dating for 12 years.
He added: “I haven’t done a lot of social networking because obviously I’ve had some private issues with my fiancé and it’s been tough.
“So I haven’t really had a chance to do a lot of social networking, but I’m going to try and get someone to help me out so I can get it out there.”
Her “incredibly devastating” death on Wednesday was announced by her daughter Kelly.
Davro had revealed his partner’s pancreatic cancer diagnosis to the Daily Star Sunday newspaper in April.
Kelly wrote on Wright’s Twitter account: “Hello everyone… Some incredibly devastating news to share…
“My wonderful mother Vicky sadly passed away this morning. I wanted to use this platform to let you all know because I know how much she appreciated all of your love and support in so many ways.”
Wright’s father was former Wolverhampton Wanderers star Billy, who played for England between September 1946 and May 1959 and was the first Englishman to win 100 caps before retiring and becoming a TV football pundit.
She recently hosted The Billy Wright Story, a celebration of her father’s life that provided insight into his private life and career before his death at age 70 in 1994.
Her mother was Joy, of The Beverley Sisters, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 91. The singing trio had hits like I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus and Little Drummer Boy.
Singer Beverley Knight paid tribute to Wright, writing on Twitter: “My god no. I’m so, so sorry. Vicky was a gem. Sending love and healing.”
Wolves football club said in a statement: “Our thoughts go out to the friends and family of Vicky Wright.
‘An inspiring woman and the daughter of a true wolf legend. She will be greatly missed. The whole pack is with the Wright family.’
BBC Midlands Today presenter Nick Owen wrote: ‘Oh no. Shocking news. I had known Vicky for over 40 years and loved her company.
“Her father Billy gave me my first job in television. I feel terribly sad tonight. Thoughts with the whole family x.’
Last week, Bobby said he was trying to “smile through the absolute pain” of his long-term partner’s “devastating” illness, but admitted it hasn’t been easy.
He told the Daily Star: ‘It is horrifying to see someone as beautiful as her with this disease. It’s so sad. It’s extremely, extremely, extremely painful…
My best advice for someone in a similar position is that laughter is the best medicine.
Footage: Jim also shared a clip of Vicky reading one of her rude bedtime stories to Ustreme, in what is believed to be her last performance before her illness
Family: Vicky’s father Billy Wright, who spent his entire football career with Wolverhampton Wanderers, died of the same cancer in 1994
Horrible: Vicky’s daughter announced yesterday morning that her mother has sadly passed away (Vicky pictured with her father Billy)
“I always remember this quote: ‘Don’t let the world change your smile – let your smile change the world’.”
Vicky’s father Billy Wright, who spent his entire football career with Wolverhampton Wanderers, died of the same cancer in 1994.
Vicky had performed as a singer and actress, following in her mother Joy Beverley’s footsteps.
She also took the stage to perform a one-woman show about her father called the “Billy Wright Story.”