Monkhouse 'shattered' by son's death

Bob and Jackie Monkhouse, with Simon and Abigail

Comedian Bob Monkhouse is mourning the death of his son who was found dead in Thailand.

The body of Simon Monkhouse was discovered on 14 April in a hotel room in a town 600 miles north of Bangkok but the death has only just been announced.

His father is "shattered" by the news, his agent Peter Prichard has said.

He said: "We have cancelled the work at the moment. He was due to be working tonight, tomorrow night and Sunday, but he is too upset to carry on at present."

Bob has pulled out of Sunday night's Bafta TV awards ceremony, where he was due to present the prize for best entertainment performance. Actress Claire Sweeney will replace him.

It is unclear how the 46-year-old died, but the death is not being treated as suspicious, raising fears that it was suicide.

Simon, a primary school teacher from south London, was one of three children from Monkhouse's first marriage.

Estranged

Simon's brother Gary suffered from cerebral palsy and died in 1992 aged 40.

The Daily Mail reports that Simon and his father were estranged, and last year he said they had not spoken for 10 years.

He also reportedly resented the fact he had been sent off to boarding school.

In 1988 he was in the news after being mugged for the fourth time near to the council house where he lived alone.

Monkhouse had apparently tried to contact his son but failed to heal the rift.

The TV star, who presents the BBC One quiz show Wipeout, lives in a large country home in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire.

The 72-year-old's other credits include Bob's Full House and long-running ITV quiz Family Fortunes.

Arrangements have been made to return the body to England.