The family of TV funnyman Duncan Norvelle have become embroiled in a bitter rift with his girlfriend, which is overshadowing plans to give him a 'fitting send-off', MailOnline can reveal.
The comedian, 66, known for his trademark 'Chase me' slogan and camp act, graced almost every television screen in the country during his heyday in the 1980s before falling out of favor with TV bosses.
He died in December after suffering a respiratory infection and sepsis, after more than a decade of struggling with serious medical problems and poverty.
His funeral will take place today in Loughborough, Leicestershire, where he was born and raised, but his mother Mary and other members of his family are locked in a vicious war of words with his partner, Linda Trevallion.
At the center of the row are claims by Mary and some of her family that Mrs Treveallion and Duncan split more than a year ago and were not even together at the time of his death – claims his girlfriend denies.
But she remained the executor of his will because he was too ill to change it, giving her power over his estate and funeral arrangements.
Angry relatives claim Mrs Trevallion 'hijacked' Duncan's funeral and also organized a wake at Loughborough Golf Club to which they were not invited.
In response, they have organized their own wake at a local pub, which they claim will be a more 'befitting' occasion for all who knew and loved Duncan.
Duncan Norvelle pictured with his partner Lynn Trevallion, who is reportedly engaged in a vicious war of words with his family
The comedian, known for his catchphrase 'Chase me', died in hospital surrounded by his loved ones after suffering from a respiratory infection and blood poisoning
At the center of the line are claims that Ms Treveallion and Duncan split more than a year ago and were not even together at the time of his death
A source told MailOnline: 'They had split and Duncan even confirmed this in a statement he posted on his Facebook page last year.
'But Trevallion rushed to his deathbed because she was still listed in the hospital records as his next of kin. She didn't even tell Mary and his family that he was dying so they could say goodbye.”
The source added: “She then announced to his family that she was the executor of Duncan's will and has used that power to arrange his funeral and other matters as she wishes.
“Mary and the family have even been told by the funeral home to ask Lynn for permission to do or see anything she is planning to do. His own mother has to ask his ex-girlfriend to attend her own son's funeral! It's just so wrong and it's caused Mary a lot of grief and upset.”
A family member said: “Those who truly loved and cared for Duncan are holding their own vigil for him and everyone is invited. If he was already in it, he would be turning in his own grave. He loved his mother very much and would never want her to be treated this way.”
Grieving Mrs Trevallion, 75, denied the claims and insisted she and the TV star remained together until his death.
She said: 'I'm very upset about this. I'll tell you more after the funeral is over, but it's all lies. Duncan and I were very much together and we loved each other.”
She continued, “It's true that he spent a lot of time in the hospital and was hardly at home, but it was me he wanted at his bedside when he died.
“We played songs and laughed a lot while he was in the hospital. I really miss him. And it really hurts me that people can say things like this about me and Duncan. We loved each other.'
Norvelle died at age 66, just 12 years after suffering a stroke that paralyzed half of his body
Angry relatives claim Mrs Trevallion 'hijacked' Duncan's funeral
A source told MailOnline: 'They had split and Duncan even confirmed this in a statement he posted on his Facebook page last year.'
Norvelle rose to fame in the early 1980s on the ITV variety show Saturday Royal
Just days after his death, Mrs Trevallion shared her heartbreak in an interview with MailOnline.
She told how she wiped his forehead and held his hand at the Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, Lincolnshire, during the final days of his life – after asking medical staff not to resuscitate following a year-long battle with a chronic lung condition.
Paying tribute to the comic once adored by millions, Lynn said: “Duncan was never a complainer. He accepted his life as it was after his stroke twelve years ago.
'I never knew Duncan before his stroke or when he was in good health, but he was a very loving man, kind and caring.'
She added: “We were together as husband and wife. I fell in love with the man, it made no difference to the stroke. I helped him, but he could do a lot himself.'
She claimed they had lived together for the past 12 years in her two-bedroom home in Romford, Essex, which she bought for £225,000 in January 2012.
In the argument after Duncan's death, his children also found themselves on opposite sides.
One of Mary's staunchest supporters in the dispute is Duncan's eldest daughter Sophie (40), who was born after he had a relationship with her mother Trudie.
According to a relative, Sophie was considering filing legal proceedings to try to have Ms Trevallion's name removed from Duncan's will and made executor.
The relative said: 'But she was told her father could not be laid to rest until a court case was resolved, which could take a long time, so she decided against it.'
But her half-sister Yasmin, 35, born when Duncan married his first wife, and her mother Tina Fisher, are supporting Mrs Trevallion.
Estranged from Duncan's family, she helps arrange the funeral and wake-up call according to Mrs. Trevallion's wishes.
A relative revealed that Yasmin also got married three weeks before Duncan's death, but did not invite him.
Duncan was a familiar face on British television in the 1980s, known for his catchphrase 'chase me!' and camp humor
Duncan Norvelle's terraced house in the Romford area of London, where he lived towards the end of his life
After his stroke, Duncan Norvelle said defiantly: 'I saw many stroke patients give up and not care what the doctors said to them, but I was determined to get better and live my life'
The relative added: “It is so sad that someone who was a lifter of spirits and made millions laugh is now laid to rest in this terrible way. This is not at all what Duncan would have wanted. This should have been a celebration of his life, but instead it turned into a war.”
Tragically, this is Mary's second son, a retired postmistress, who has lost her. Duncan's brother Ian died of leukemia at the age of 27.
Mrs Trevallion, a widowed grandmother, told MailOnline she met the comic at a comedy event in Blackpool in 2012.
Because the millions he made disappeared as his star faded, Duncan was confined to a wheelchair and living on disability benefits after declaring bankruptcy.
A stroke he suffered in 2012 while preparing for the summer season with Cannon and Ball left him paralyzed on the left side of his body and was caused by a blood clot in his brain.
He was told it was unlikely he would ever walk or talk normally again. But he fought against going on stage in a wheelchair or walking with the help of a cane. He also courageously incorporated his health problems into his act.
He continued to travel around the country performing in pubs and small clubs, while his only regular TV appearance was an 80s special edition of Pointless Celebrities in 2019.
He also worked on cruise ships and made extra money by recording personalized video messages for fans.
Duncan, who was also known for his impressions, was a regular on prime-time TV in the 1980s after gaining national fame in the ITV variety show Saturday Royal.
He subsequently hosted the pilot of Blind Date and appeared regularly on popular entertainment programs including Carpety Blank, 3-2-1, Surprise! Surprise! The Bob Monkhouse Show and The Keith Harris Show.
But as he struggled with ill health, his star, like many other artists of his generation, waned as so-called “alternative comedians” broke into the mainstream.
