Bobby Ball’s sons ‘shell-shocked’ by his Covid death after joking with nurses days before catching it in hospital

BOBBY Ball’s sons say they have been left “shell-shocked” by his death from coronavirus.

Darren and Robert have told how their 76-year-old father was “laughing and joking” with nurses before testing positive for the virus while in hospital with a chest infection.

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Bobby Ball died of coronavirus[/caption]

The grieving brothers appeared on Good Morning Britain this morning to pay tribute to their dad, who was a Saturday night prime-time favourite with double act partner Tommy Cannon.

Rob said: “He had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and went to hospital with a chest infection. He then tested positive for coronavirus and… it was awful.”

Darren continued: “You never expect one of your family to get it. We’re shell-shocked really. Completely shell-shocked.

“I was FaceTiming him three times a day when he was in hospital. Before he took a decline he was laughing and joking with the nurses.

“He was being his usual self, getting the nurses in and telling us ‘have you met your new mother?’

“Unfortunately he declined and went in the wrong direction.”

Bobby had his two sons from his first marriage to Joan Lynn.

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Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball in Cannon and Ball[/caption]

They shared the stage with him and Cannon just three weeks ago in Blackpool.

Darren added: “He was up to his old tricks again. We went on stage to hopefully get laughs and Cannon and Ball went on after and got a bigger laugh. He came backstage and said ‘that’s how you get laughs, lads.”

The brothers said Bobby was “full of mischief” on and off stage – and it was like “living with a cartoon” as they paid tribute to him today.

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Bobby Ball’s sons are also comedians, known as The Harper Brothers[/caption]

Bobby, who starred in the fifth series of I’m a Celebrity, as well as Not Going Out and Last Of The Summer Wine, was rushed to hospital after experiencing breathing problems.

He later tested positive for Covid-19 and died at approximately 9.30pm last night.

His lifelong friend and co-star Tommy Cannon said today: “Rock on, my good friend, I can’t believe this, I’m devastated.”

Bobby’s heartbroken wife Yvonne said: “I will always miss him, he was so joyful, full of fun and mischievous.”

He and Yvonne had one daughter together, Joanne, who was born in the early 70s.