That Time a Famous Comedian Died on Live TV (and Everyone Thought It Was a Joke) |
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That Time a Famous Comedian Died on Live TV (and Everyone Thought It Was a Joke)
The broadcast continued for almost a minute before cutting to commercial.
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On April 15, 1984, Welsh comedian Tommy Cooper took the stage at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London to perform his world-famous magic act on the TV variety show Live from Her Majesty’s.
Halfway through his set, with a reported 12 million people watching, Cooper fell to the floor and slumped backward into the curtain behind him. The audience laughed hysterically as a hand reached out through the curtain and appeared to drag him backstage. For nearly a minute, the laughter continued until the show cut to commercial.
According to the show’s host, Jimmy Tarbuck, everyone behind the scenes........