I Will Miss Late Eddie Large Terribly – Son

Popular comedian, Eddie Large has died after contracting Coronavirus.

The 78-year-old was already battling heart failure before testing the positive for the virus and eventually giving up.

His son, Ryan McGinnis revealed this sad news on Facebook minutes ago.

His words, “It is with great sadness that Mum and I need to announce that my dad passed away in the early hours of this morning. He had been suffering with heart failure and unfortunately, whilst in hospital, contracted the coronavirus, which his heart was sadly not strong enough to fight. Dad had fought bravely for so long. Due to this horrible disease we had been unable to visit him at the hospital but all of the family and close friends spoke to him every day.

“We will miss him terribly and we are so proud of everything he achieved in his career with Syd and know that he was much loved by the millions that watched them each week.”

R.I.P.

Edward Hugh McGinnis (25 June 1941 – 2 April 2020), better known by the stage name Eddie Large, was a Scottish comedian. He was best known as one half of the double act Little and Large, with Syd Little.

Large was born Edward Hugh McGinnis in Glasgow in 1941. His father Teddy served as a Petty Officer in the Royal Navy during World War II and after he returned from the war the family moved to a tenement in Oatlands. When he was nine years old, the family moved again to Manchester, where he attended Claremont Road Primary School and a grammar school. He played football as a schoolboy, becoming a supporter of nearby Manchester City which had its ground opposite his home and maintained a life long devotion to the club. After he left school he worked as an electrician and was a singer.

He met singer and guitarist Cyril Mead in the Stonemason’s Arms pub in Wythenshawe and they formed a double act following the reaction to Eddie’s comic heckling of Cyril, who switched to comedy. The duo then performed in northern clubs, turning professional in 1963. As Little and Large, the two men began their TV career on the talent show Opportunity Knocks winning in 1971 and starred in many television comedy programmes, including their own series The Little and Large Show and the ITV series Who Do You Do? doing impressions and also performing as pantomime stars.