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Disgraced entertainer Rolf Harris, who became one of the UK’s biggest TV stars but was later jailed for using his fame to groom and assault young women, has died after a long illness, aged 93.

Harris was jailed for sexual assaults on young girls, one a childhood friend of his daughter, another an autograph hunter.

He denied all the accusations but was convicted after a high-profile trial of a dozen historical indecent assaults against four girls and four charges of producing indecent child images. It wrecked his career and ruined his reputation.

Sentencing him in 2014 to five years and nine months in prison, the judge said Harris had taken advantage of his celebrity status and shown no remorse.

Harris arrived in Britain aged 22 from his native Australia in 1953 and became a national treasure who had several of his own TV series, and appeared as a guest on many others from the 1960s onwards.

He had a string of hits with songs such as Jake the Peg, Two Little Boys, and Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport. He also appeared several times at Glastonbury Festival.

He was awarded many honours, including an MBE, OBE and CBE, a BAFTA fellowship and honorary university doctorates, all of which were revoked after his conviction.

Queen Elizabeth II sat for him for an 80th birthday portrait which was hung in Buckingham Palace.

Rolf Harris chats to members of the press about his portrait of Her Majesty The Queen at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Australian singer Rolf Harris performs with his wobbleboard at the Glastonbury Festival 2010 in south west England, June 25, 2010.   REUTERS/Luke MacGregor (BRITAIN - Tags: ENTERTAINMENT SOCIETY)
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Harris performs with his wobbleboard at Glastonbury Festival in 2010

‘He had a darker side to him’

Leading publicist Mark Borkowski said: “When the accusations sank in you began to feel cheated, that all those emotions you’ve had for an icon were false.

“He had a darker side to him that overshadowed all the fun and games he had broadcast for decades.

“People will remember him as an entertainer, unique, [who] lived in the heart of the nation and was good at reinventing himself – but he will be remembered for his crimes.”

Harris, married with a daughter, was among a dozen celebrities arrested during Operation Yewtree, one of a series of police investigations into historical sex abuse allegations against high-profile figures – including BBC presenter Jimmy Savile, a prolific sex offender exposed only after his death.

At the start of his trial, the prosecutor described Harris as “a Jekyll and Hyde” character with a hidden dark side to his personality.

Entertainer Rolf Harris is seen during custody in this undated picture provided by the Metropolitan Police. Harris, a mainstay of family entertainment in Britain and Australia for more than 50 years, was found guilty on June 30, 2014 on 12 charges of indecently assaulting young girls over two decades. REUTERS/Metropolitan Police/Handout via Reuters (BRITAIN - Tags: CRIME LAW ENTERTAINMENT HEADSHOT PROFILE)
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Harris pictured in custody. Pic: Met Police

A childhood friend of his daughter Bindi was his main victim, telling the jury he had groomed and indecently assaulted her repeatedly between the ages of 13 and 19, once when his daughter was asleep in the same room.

She called the police about Harris after the wide publicity surrounding Savile’s exposure, though there was no connection between the two men’s crimes.

Harris said he’d had a relationship with the woman but claimed it began after she turned 18. He later wrote to her father insisting nothing illegal had happened.

‘Parents believed their children were safe’

Mike Hames, former head of the Metropolitan Police’s paedophile squad, said: “Children loved him and parents were willing to leave their children with him because they believed they were safe.

“That’s the perfect way to operate from the point of view of a child abuser because they are able to get the child by themselves and because the child is in awe and most unlikely to say anything.”

Rolf Harris, recording his new album, 'Can You Tell What It Is Yet?'
1997-09-12
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Rolf Harris recording an album in 1997

Australian Tonya Lee, who waived her right to anonymity, said Harris abused her three times on one day when she was 15 and on a theatre group trip to the UK.

She later said she contemplated taking her own life because of the abuse.

Other victims told the court that he touched or groped them, sometimes at public events or charity performances.

Jurors were also told of indecent assaults on women in Australia, New Zealand, and Malta – although Harris wasn’t charged with overseas crimes.

Peter Watt, of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), said the charity had helped police build the case against Harris after 28 calls to its helpline, including 13 women who said he had abused them.

Mr Watt said after Harris’s conviction: “His reckless and brazen sexual offending, sometimes in public places, bizarrely within sight of people he knew, speaks volumes about just how untouchable he thought he was.”

Wife stood by him in final years

In 2015, Harris was stripped of his CBE and of honours in his native Australia.

In 2017, while he was still in jail, he was put on trial a second time, over four allegations of indecent assault on three teenage girls. He denied the charges and was found not guilty after the jury failed to agree verdicts.

Queen Elizabeth meets Australian entertainers Rolf Harris (L) and Kylie Minogue backstage at the Diamond Jubilee Concert outside Buckingham Palace in London June 4 , 2012.  REUTERS/Dave Thompson/POOL  (BRITAIN - Tags: ROYALS ENTERTAINMENT)
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The Queen meets Harris and Kylie Minogue backstage at the Diamond Jubilee Concert in 2012

In a statement read out by his lawyer, Harris said: “I feel no sense of victory, only relief. I’m 87 years old, my wife is in ill health and we simply want to spend our remaining time together in peace.”

Harris was freed from jail halfway through his second trial after serving three years. One of his convictions was overturned on appeal.

He spent the rest of his days living reclusively with his sculptor wife Alwen, who had stood by him, at the couple’s Thames riverside home in Berkshire.

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British woman dies in French Alps after crashing into another skier

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British woman dies in French Alps after crashing into another skier

A 62-year-old British woman has died in the French Alps after colliding with another skier, according to local reports.

The English woman was skiing on the Aiguille Rouge mountain of Savoie at around 10.30am on Tuesday when she hit a 35-year-old man who was stationary on the same track, local news outlet Le Dauphine reported.

It added that emergency services and rescue teams rushed to the scene but couldn’t resuscitate the woman, who died following the “traumatic shock”.

The man she collided with was also said to be a British national.

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Local reports said the pair were skiing on black slopes, a term used to describe the most challenging ski runs with particularly steep inclines.

A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office told Sky News: “We are supporting the family of a British woman who died in France and are in touch with the local authorities.”

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Singer Linda Nolan dies ’embraced with love’ with siblings by her side

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Singer Linda Nolan dies 'embraced with love' with siblings by her side

Singer Linda Nolan, who rose to fame alongside her sisters in The Nolans, has died after several years of battling cancer.

The Irish star, 65, and her sisters Coleen, Maureen, Bernie, Denise and Anne, had a run of hits in the late 1970s and ’80s – including the disco classic I’m In The Mood For Dancing.

Paying tribute on The Nolans‘ X account, her sisters described her as “a pop icon and beacon of hope”, who “faced incurable cancer with courage, grace and determination, inspiring millions”.

Linda died peacefully in hospital this morning, “embraced with love and comfort” with her siblings by her side, her agent Dermot McNamara said in a statement.

“As a member of The Nolans, one of the most successful girl groups of all time, Linda achieved global success; becoming the first Irish act to sell over a million records worldwide, touring the world and selling over 30 million records,” he said.

“Her distinctive voice and magnetic stage presence brought joy to fans around the world, securing her place as an icon of British and Irish entertainment.”

As well as her TV and musical career, Linda helped to raise more than £20 million for numerous charities, including Breast Cancer Now, Irish Cancer Society, Samaritans and others.

“Her selflessness and tireless commitment to making a difference in the lives of others will forever be a cornerstone of her legacy,” Mr McNamara said.

Linda Nolan, Anne Nolan, Bernie Nolan, Coleen Nolan, and Maureen Nolan.
Pic PA
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Five of the Nolans in 1983 (L-R): Linda, Anne, Bernie, Coleen and Maureen. Pic: PA

Linda’s death came after she was admitted to hospital with pneumonia over the weekend. She began receiving end-of-life care after slipping into a coma on Tuesday.

Details of a celebration of the star’s “remarkable life” will be shared in due course.

Linda was born to Tommy and Maureen Nolan in Dublin on 23 February 1959, the sixth of eight children.

Her parents were both singers and keen to turn their young family into a musical troupe. Linda made her stage debut aged just four.

Those early years put the siblings on track for a career in show business which lasted for decades. As well as I’m In The Mood For Dancing, The Nolans had hits with Gotta Pull Myself Together, Attention To Me and Don’t Make Waves, and they also had their own TV specials.

At their height, they toured with Frank Sinatra and were reported to have outsold The Beatles in Japan.

Linda left the group in 1983, but later reformed with her sisters for several comeback performances. She also became known for musical theatre, most notably performing the role of Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers for three years from 2000.

The Nolan Sisters, (left to right) Bernadette, Denise, Linda (top), Anne and Maureen
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L-R: Bernie, Denise, Linda (top), Anne and Maureen Nolan pictured in 1975, before youngest sister Coleen joined the group

Four siblings struck by cancer

Linda was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, and underwent a mastectomy two days before her 47th birthday.

After being given the all-clear in 2011, in 2017 she was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer. Three years later, Linda and Anne together revealed they were being treated for cancer once again.

The sisters were diagnosed with different forms of the disease just days apart after they returned home from filming a series of their show, The Nolans Go Cruising. Linda had cancer of the liver, while Anne had breast cancer.

Linda Nolan seen attending the Bold x Pink Ribbon Foundation Party in 2024.
Pic: Shutterstock
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The star, pictured last year, had battled cancer for several years. Pic: Shutterstock

They went on to write Stronger Together, an account of their journey that included frank details of their treatments and the side effects.

But in 2023, Linda revealed the cancer had spread to her brain and she was beginning treatment as part of a new drug trial.

The Nolans lost their second-youngest sister, Bernie, to cancer in 2013, aged 52.

Loose Women star Coleen Nolan also revealed she was diagnosed with skin cancer last year, and said she was using a chemotherapy cream to remove it.

Linda’s husband of 26 years, Brian Hudson, died in 2007 after being diagnosed with skin cancer.

Anne Nolan is now cancer-free.

Tributes to star ‘who was always a joy’

TV star and singer Cheryl Baker and comedian Tommy Cannon are among those who have paid tribute.

“I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of Linda Nolan,” Cannon wrote on X. “I had the pleasure of working with her on so many occasions, and she was always a joy – full of warmth and love. My thoughts and love are with the Nolan girls and the whole family.”

“The most incredible voice, the wickedest sense of humour, such a massive talent,” Baker wrote. “You’re with Brian now, Lin.”

Loose Women also sent its love to her family. Linda appeared as a guest panellist on the ITV chat show over the years, alongside her sister Coleen.

The Blackpool Grand Theatre described her as “a true Blackpool icon”.

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Trainee gas engineer, 20, wins £7.5m in lottery – but won’t quit work

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Trainee gas engineer, 20, wins £7.5m in lottery - but won't quit work

A 20-year-old trainee gas engineer who won £7.5m says he was back working on blocked drains the day after claiming his cash.

James Clarkson, 20, from Carlisle, Cumbria, found out he’d hit the £7,533,329 National Lottery jackpot on 4 January – but said he has no plans to quit his job.

“I was out in the cold fixing blocked drains the day after I found out I had won,” he said.

“It was a bit grim but that’s reality.

“I’m not going to stop working, I’m too young,” he added, admitting he knew it might sound “mad” to some.

“I want to qualify as a heating engineer and then go from there.

“I need to have a purpose in life, plus dad wouldn’t let me not work anyway. He says there are plenty of millionaires out there that still work and you need a reason to get up each day.”

Mr Clarkson celebrating with his family. Pic: PA
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Mr Clarkson celebrating with his family. Pic: PA

Mr Clarkson added he still planned to have “some nice holidays” in between working, and revealed one of his first purchases was an all-inclusive luxury break to Cape Verde, along with a few designer items including a Gucci bag for his girlfriend and two new jackets for himself.

He said he also planned to splash out on a new car, possibly an Audi – but for now, he’s got his work van.

“If you drive a cold work van all day, going from job to job, you’d understand,” he said.

“The comfort, the steering, the heated seats. I realise how jammy that sounds, not many people my age can afford the car insurance let alone a car like that to drive.”

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As a huge Manchester City fan, he said he was also looking to buy a season ticket at the Etihad Stadium, as well as taking care of his extended family – starting with paying off his parents’ mortgage.

James Clarkson holds bespoke Manchester City kit after lotto win. Pic: PA
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The new multi-millionaire holds up bespoke Manchester City kit celebrating his win. Pic: PA

He said: “I’ve been thinking about it a lot, it’s what I want to do. I told them last night and they seemed really overwhelmed.

“We are close and they have always been there for me. This win isn’t just for me, I want to make sure we all benefit.”

Mr Clarkson played on the National Lottery app, choosing his winning numbers – 16, 19, 22, 24, 27 and 35 – at random.

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