Popular 80s comedian dies age 66 – 12 years after suffering a stroke which left half his body paralyzed

Comedian Duncan Norvelle has died at the age of 66 – 12 years after suffering a stroke which left half his body paralyzed.

Duncan was familiar face on British TV in the 1980s and was known for his catchphrase ‘chase me!’ and camp humour. 

He leaves behind his girlfriend Linda Trevallion who cared for him for the past 10 years after his stroke. 

Socialite Lizzie Cundy was one of the first to pay tribute to him, writing on Twitter: ‘Very sad to hear comedian Duncan Norvelle has passed away. His famous trade mark saying, ‘chase me chase me ‘ use to make me laugh so much.

‘Sending all my love and thoughts to his family.’

In 2012 Duncan suffered a stroke and was told afterwards that it was unlikely he would ever walk or talk properly again. 

Socialite Lizzie Cundy was one of the first to pay tribute to him, writing on Twitter: ‘Very sad to hear comedian Duncan Norvelle has passed away’

Afterwards however he defiantly said: ‘I saw a lot of stroke patients give up and not question what the doctors were saying to them but I was determined to get better and live my life.’

Following the stroke he spent 18 months in hospital to regain his speech and mobility. 

He said at the time: ‘It was an incredible wake-up call and I now live my life very differently.’

Norvelle rose to fame on the ITV variety show Saturday Royal in the early 1980s. 

After his hospitalisation he discovered that his blood pressure was sky-high, one of the greatest contributing factors to a stroke.

After nine weeks in hospital, he cancelled his summer season with comedy duo Cannon and Ball, and was replaced by Stu Francis.

In 2015, Norvelle chose the Embassy Theatre, Skegness, as his first performance after over three years off-stage, promising that funds from his show would be allocated to the Stroke Association.