TV presenter and comedian Bob Monkhouse is said to be “devastated” over the death of his estranged son. The body of Simon Monkhouse was discovered in a hotel room in Thailand where he was travelling alone. It has now been released and returned to the UK, though few of the details surrounding the death of the 46-year-old are known.
Although Simon’s body was reportedly discovered on April 14, the identity of the deceased was only released this week. “We heard yesterday through official channels about the news, but checks had to be made identifying that it was Simon,” said the comedian’s agent. “Bob is devastated. It’s his son and the family is finding it very difficult to deal with it. It’s a huge shock. It is tragic for a young man to die, and everyone is just taking it in now.”
“As far as I’m aware, there is nothing suspicious about his death,” he added.
The 72-year-old celebrity and his son have been estranged since 1988. The relationship initially soured when Simon was nine and his father had him undergo psychoanalysis before later sending him off to boarding school. The two later clashed over several issues, including Bob’s autobiography. Simon claims that in the book his father milked his older son Gary’s cerebral palsy for sympathy. “Bob gave the impression that only he looked after him,” Simon said. “But it was my mother and her second husband who did the bed-panning, washing and taking him for walks.”
Only last year Simon spoke out about his relationship with his father saying: “He says I should mend bridges before he dies. I just don’t know whether I would visit him on his deathbed. You only have one dad, it’s really sad.”
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
