How Rod Hull Died 17 - 03 - 1999 - Aged 63

The entertainer Rod Hull has died after falling off the roof of his cottage at Rye, East Sussex. Hull and his mute, but mischievous puppet, Emu, were regular favorites on TV in the 1970s and early 1980s as he presented shows like Rod Hull And Emu and later EBC (Emu's Broadcasting Company) and Emu's World.

Early stage career
Rod Hull was born in Kent in 1935 and performed with a concert party from the age of 15. But the shy young Hull trained as an electrician when he left school. He moved to Australia in the 1960's, and got into television as host of an early morning children's programme. Emu, the mute but belligerent puppet, was born as a prop on the show, and Hull continued to use it on concert and club engagements. When Hull returned to Britain in 1970, Emu quickly became a star of children's and adult television. Its habit of attacking anyone in reach brought him particular notoriety when the victim was Michael Parkinson, who was interviewing Hull on his chat show. When Emu met the Queen Mother at the Royal Variety Show in 1972, the wayward puppet ate her bouquet. Financial problems In 1987, at the height of his fame, Hull paid £387,000 for Restoration House, an Elizabethan mansion in Kent, which was a favorite setting of Charles Dickens in his novels. Hull spent another £500,000 restoring it, but was soon beset by money problems, including massive tax arrears. The house was repossessed, and in 1994 Hull was declared bankrupt. Last season he was entertaining children and adults alike in pantomime in Windsor, where he appeared alongside former TV weatherman Ian McCaskill. Hull also recently made a return to TV screens in an advertisement for the butter substitute, Clover. Rod Hull married twice; he had five children.
Story Taken From - The British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC Online.

More About Rod Hull and His Sudden Death
He was declared dead on arrival at the Conquest Hospital in Hastings. Hull was adjusting his TV aerial in an attempt to improve the picture as he watched Manchester United football match against Inter Milan. His agent Laurie Mansfield said: "We're not 100% certain what happened but what we do know is that he was watching the football. "The picture was bad and he went up on the roof to adjust it and fell off. "What they're not too sure about is the possibility that he might have had a heart attack, either while he was up there or after he fell."

'A unique entertainer'
Hull was well known for the attacks his puppet launched against TV celebrities, including a notorious appearance on the Michael Parkinson show in the 1970s.

Michael Parkinson paid tribute to Hull as "a gentleman", but joked that he had a sinister side - his puppet. "I am very sad to hear of Rod's death. He was a very charming, intelligent and sensitive man - quite unlike the Emu. "The Emu was the dark side of Rod's personality, and very funny, provided it was not on top of you. "He was a gentle man and a very endearing companion. He made me laugh an awful lot and we will sorely miss him."

Comedian Jim Davidson called Hull "a unique entertainer". He added: "He was a great friend and was always ready to help and support a cause. "

Entertainer Rolf Harris said: "I worked with Rod quite a lot, we shared the same agency for many years and he came to Canada to guest on my show there. "He was a creative character, a sweet person and a very good friend. We shall all miss him."

Talent nurtured in Australia
Rod Hull was born on the Isle of Sheppey in 1936 and spent much of his childhood there. He left Britain for Australia in the 1960s to pursue a career on the stage and in TV. It was in Australia he developed the character of his sidekick Emu. On his return to Britain in 1970 both he and Emu became popular TV entertainers. In the late 1980s Hull bought an Elizabethan house in Rochester - but went bankrupt renovating it and the house was repossessed. He lived in East Sussex with his 19-year-old son Oliver.

A Message From Sir Cliff Richard:
"I met him on a couple of occasions. I'm very sad to hear about it." He said Rod's death must have been especially "horrible" for his relatives because of the way he died.

GiraFFe Networks Would Like To Thank the BBC for this report. GiraFFe Net would also like to pay their respect to Rod Hull's family, and are sorry to see such a great man go in that way. This site will carry on with this tribute to the worlds greatest entertainer.