Morecambe and Wise star died penniless on benefits despite huge fame

One star who appeared on comedy show Morecambe and Wise died penniless and living on benefits after shooting to stardom at a young age. 'Failed' by entertainment executives and her own agent, Lena Zavaroni went from an incredible singing career to a tragic death aged just 35.

Lena first found fame on ITV talent show Opportunity Knocks, before going on to appear on shows like Top of the Pops and The Little and Large Show. She appeared alongside Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise twice, first in 1976 and then again in 1979 for their BBC special. Lena also performed on everything from The Les Dawson Show to the Royal Variety Performance in the seventies.

Sadly, by the age of 13 Lena was suffering from depression and battling anorexia. She was living with her managers in London at the time, and when BBC production staff raised concerns of her health to bosses at the time, he was allegedly threatened twice with the prospect of being sacked.

The BBC told The Sunday Post last year: "As these allegations relate to events from over 40 years ago and involve a former member of staff who is now deceased, it is difficult to comment in detail. However, the BBC of today is very different to that of the 70s and 80s, and we would not expect the experiences described in [documentary Lena Zavaroni: The Forgotten Child Star] to be repeated today.

"We take our duty of care very seriously and have a number of measures in place to safeguard the welfare of those who take part in our programmes."

Lena's agents declined to tell her father about her illness until he took his daughter to a doctor three years later, worried she was losing too much weight. Production manager Mike Crisp found her "throwing up in the dressing room" behind the scenes.

Her dad Victor explained: "I noticed she was very, very thin. When we put food in her mouth, she spat it out. We couldn't stop her. It was soul destroying."

Lena's last on-screen role came in 1993. She married computer consultant Peter Wiltshire in 1989, but the marriage broke down within 18 months and Lena moved to Hertfordshire to be close to her dad and step-mum.

Living alone and reliant on state benefits, Lena was taken to hospital for surgery, but sadly died aged just 35 from pneumonia in 1999.