Inside Princess Diana’s secret adventures to gay bars in Freddie Mercury disguise
Kenny Everett - who died 30 years ago today - was great friends with Princess Diana and once took her out on the town disguised as Freddie Mercury's 'model' boyfriend
Not many would have the audacity to sneak Princess Diana into a famed London gay bar disguised as Freddie Mercury's boyfriend.
Yet, that was precisely what Kenny Everett did. Recalling the antics on the 30th anniversary of the comic's death, his closest companion and comedy ally, Cleo Rocos, reflects on how he embraced life to the fullest.
With a chuckle, she reminisces: "We would go to parties and literally swing off chandeliers."
Cleo shared with The Mirror that if they found themselves at a dull party, "If there was champagne we would try to hang onto it and climb out of the window with it."
Kenny never envisioned barriers or limitations, reports the Mirror.
She shared his philosophy: "Kenny didn't see things in terms of limits. He would say 'think of life as God's party and there is a giant table filled with every food and drink, some of it delicious, some of it terrible, some of it will make you feel fantastic.
"If you are invited to a party and offered all these things it is really rude not to try everything. You don't want to be the person standing in the corner nibbling on a radish.'"
Ever determined to explore all aspects of life, she expressed: "Kenny went out and tried everything in life. He wanted to do different things and he got bored very easily. Kenny was never, ever the person nibbling the radish."
Born Maurice James Christopher Cole on Christmas Day in 1944 near Liverpool, Kenny was raised in a Catholic household and even contemplated a religious path before being lured into radio, which saw him through stints on Radio London and Radio Luxembourg, eventually leading him to Radio 1.
A pioneering figure in the world of radio, his broadcasts were a mix of quirky voices, comical characters, and bespoke jingles and trailers that he crafted himself.
It was Kenny who first introduced Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' to eager ears, an act that kindled a lifelong bond with lead singer Freddie Mercury.
Cleo recalls how dedicated he was to music he fancied: "If he liked something, he would really push for it and make it highly successful," she says.
"He did it with Bohemian Rhapsody - he played it over and over again. Freddie Mercury was taking the song to all the different radio stations and everyone was telling him it was good, but he needed to cut it down. But when he took it to Kenny he loved it and played it and played it. It is such a magnificent song and now it is one of the most iconic songs of all times."
Kenny's unique style caught the attention of Thames Television in 1978, leading to his own television show.
This new platform was seamless for showcasing his zany characters and spoofs amid top tunes from icons like Rod Stewart, Elkie Brooks, Kate Bush, and Freddie Mercury.
It also highlighted dance numbers by Arlene Philips' Hot Gossip crew.
Following a falling out with Thames, the BBC recognised his talent and offered him a live audience show that became the prime outlet for his unconventional humour and risque quips, all executed "in the best possible taste!"
The Kenny Everett Television Show captivated 20 million viewers weekly, and through characters such as Cupid Stunt and Sid Snot, Kenny garnered legions of admirers.
Cleo, originally from Brazil, was only 15 when she joined the show, having fibbed about her age. She and Kenny hit it off instantly, their comic timing in perfect sync.
"He was very unique," she recalls. "He was very fortunate to be working with Barry Cryer and Ray Cameron. The team allowed him to be a DJ on the screen. He was so used to being on the radio and transmitting beautiful pictures through words. So when it came to television he was genuinely animated and he was super clever too."
"Just because he was funny and enjoyed being silly didn't mean he wasn't really clever. He just delighted and enjoyed being on the planet," she continued.
"I remember we could drive out of the studio after the last episode of the series. We used to get huge amounts of viewers but he would say 'Ooo Cle. I wonder if they will want us back?' He always had self doubt because he was just being himself really, and in a way that was fairly exposing, so if they didn't like him they wouldn't like the series."
"He played characters within the series, but the Kenny Everett Show was Kenny. He loved doing it and we had such a fab time. We wouldn't learn the lines, we'd have a look at them in the make-up room and just go out and see what happened. Quite often it wouldn't turn out how it was meant to, but it would still be funny. It was fantastic - it wasn't like work at all."
Despite his massive fan base, Kenny was plagued with fear that he would lose everything if he disclosed his sexuality.
He tied the knot with his girlfriend Lee Middleton in 1969, but they parted ways ten years later, with Everett still denying his homosexuality.
He was also engaged to Cleo and while they shared a deep affection for each other, his sexual orientation posed a challenge.
"He wasn't really comfortable being gay," she elaborates. "Then it was very different and it was something people kept private.
"We were engaged and, of course, I knew he was gay, but that didn't make any difference to me because I loved him no matter what. But it really bothered him. He wanted to have a married life - but not a dull one! We loved doing everything together, we just ping-ponged across galaxies in our world. There was nothing we couldn't do together. We laughed from edge to edge.
"After he passed away, one of his close friends revealed to me that Kenny had visited the hospital when we were engaged and asked if they could administer extra testosterone to tip him over the edge. I just thought no Kenny - I loved him as he was. We were so fulfilled with each other. It was something that was never an issue for us."
Kenny finally came out in 1985 and confessed that he was living in a ménage à trois with two men named Pepe and Nikolai - famously declaring that 'two husbands are better than one' and nobody raised an eyebrow.
"The one thing he feared the most was walking down the street and builders heckling him," Cleo reveals. "But he called me and said he had walked past a building site and all the lads were giving him the thumbs up. He couldn't believe it. He was embraced by the nation. It was years of needless worry. He also didn't want to upset his sister and his parents. But they were amazing."
Sadly, Kenny was diagnosed as HIV positive in 1989 and passed away from an AIDS-related illness on April 4 1995, at the tender age of 50. Cleo suspects that his Catholic upbringing played a role in him concealing his sexuality for such a long time.
His faith remained unshaken even on his deathbed.
She shares: "When he was very ill he would call me at 2am and say things like 'do you think I will go to heaven? Do you think they will have me?' Religion is a very powerful thing. But it also gave him the extra oomph to bounce against rules and regulations."
Three decades after his passing, Cleo believes Kenny's talent ensures he will always be remembered.
"People loved him because he wasn't phoney, he was genuine. He really appreciated everything that was around him. He saw things with a view to their happy side, their fun side. He wasn't too serious about much.
"He would feel really surprised, touched and honoured that so many people remember him so fondly. People knew he was risking himself doing that show and that is what they loved."
Friendship with Princess Diana
Among Kenny Everett's high-profile friends was none other than Princess Diana, who often joined him for lunch. One such meeting led to an unexpected adventure, as Cleo recounts: "We'd had a delightful lunch at the Bombay Brasserie in London. Diana was always curious about the latest showbiz gossip and we were equally interested in her Royal tales. Our gatherings were filled with laughter.
"Typically, Diana would head home post-lunch. But on this occasion, she accompanied us back to Kenny's place. I headed into the kitchen to whip up some more cocktails.
"Meanwhile, Diana had slipped off her shoes and was dancing with Kenny to the tunes of the Gypsy Kings. Kenny rang Freddie Mercury and said 'Di's here come over, we are watching the Golden Girls.'
"We assumed Diana would leave as usual, but she enquired about our plans and attire for the evening. My brother, a war photographer stationed in El Salvador, had gifted me his camouflage jacket which Kenny intended to borrow. However, when Diana tried it on, it suited her perfectly.
"So, Kenny fetched a leather cap for her, and Freddie handed her a pair of aviator sunglasses. She looked stunning. Amidst our laughter, she expressed her desire to join us. We initially thought she was jesting. Kenny warned her 'we are heading to a place filled with burly men who engage in brawls'."
She went on: "He could just see the headlines - 'Future Queen of England Dies in Gay Bar Brawl.' But Freddie just said 'oh let the girl have some fun.' So she did. It wasn't planned, it just evolved from there. She said she would come just for as long as it takes to order a glass of wine.
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"We went to the Vauxhall Tavern. I think Lily Savage was on because it was crowded. Of course, people knew Kenny and Freddie and everyone was saying hello to us, but Diana just looked like Freddie's boyfriend, a gorgeous male model, and she loved it.
"They went to the bar and ordered a beer and a wine and stayed about 20 minutes. We left and got a cab to drop her off at Kensington Palace. She kept the outfit on and gave a word to the security guard and he let her in. The next day she sent around everything folded up with a note saying she'd had a fabulous time.
"I can transport myself back to that lunch and just see Diana throwing her head back laughing. Kenny would say things like 'When is the Queen going to get off the throne and give you a go?' When we got together with her there was edge to edge laughter."
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