Ill Health, Retirement and Death
Retirement from Blackpool Tower Circus (1979)
In 1979, after 39 consecutive seasons, Charlie Cairoli gave his final performance in the Blackpool Tower Circus ring.
Several factors drove his retirement:
His declining physical strength made the intense slapstick routines increasingly difficult.
Doctors warned him that continuing might cause permanent damage.
He felt strongly that the audience deserved his best — and if he couldn’t give that, he would step away with dignity.
His retirement marked the end of an era; he was widely regarded as one of the greatest circus clowns of the 20th century. Crowds, friends, and performers around the world paid tribute.
Final Years
After retiring, Charlie lived quietly in Blackpool with his wife Violet.
He remained a beloved figure in the circus community, often appearing at special events and being honoured for his lifetime of work.
Death (1980)
Charlie Cairoli died 17 February 1980, aged 70.
His passing followed a period of declining health, accelerated by the physical demands of his lifelong career.
His funeral at Carleton Crematorium in Blackpool was deeply emotional — clowns, circus performers, managers, friends, and fans filled the chapel. There was no spotlight, no drumroll, only the quiet gratitude of those he had made laugh for decades.
A priest speaking at the service said:
“His gift was to make people happy — often happier than he ever was himself.”
After his death, tributes poured in from across the world, recognising him as a clown of rare genius, whose warmth, timing, skill, and humanity made him unforgettable.
Legacy
Even today, Charlie Cairoli remains:
One of Britain’s most iconic circus entertainers
A central figure in Blackpool’s entertainment history
A symbol of the golden age of circus comedy
A beloved performer whose influence continues through his family and fans
His name is still spoken with admiration, affection, and respect.
Goodbye, clown prince Charlie
By Diana Pulson — at the funeral of one of the funniest men in Britain Daily Post - Merseyside Edition. Friday 22nd February 1980
There was no spotlight, no roll of drums when the circus world said goodbye to Charlie Cairoli yesterday.
Without their greasepaint, removed from the exhausted minds of the people who crowded into the chapel at Carleton Crematorium, Blackpool, it felt more like a family coming together to mourn.
It was impossible to imagine the lively, mischievous clown moving quietly away and leaving behind only the memory of laughter. For decades he had made people laugh, even as the smile he showed the world often hid the sadness he carried privately.
A full house came to honour Charlie, beloved by so many. Mary Chipperfield, one of the world's most famous animal trainers, travelled especially from Blackpool for the event.
Bernard Delfont arrived. And with him, among others, stood little children, the true people of the circus, the people who had adored Charlie Cairoli, who for 39 years brought nightly joy to audiences at Blackpool Tower Circus and struck the most poignant notes with his comedy.
Men like 60-year-old Tommy Duggan, a clown who had worked with Charlie for years and owed his career to him, spoke of the kindness Charlie had always shown his fellow performers
.
Gwen Maybury, his wardrobe mistress, talked of the speed with which Charlie applied his makeup and pointed out that beneath it all was the warm, gentle clown who never frightened children.
Inside the hearse, resting on the coffin, circus aficionado Jim Levitt placed flowers. Levitt, President of the Circus Fans’ Association, spoke of the love that clowns like Charlie inspired in their followers.
Clive Smith, North Wales Exhibition Ringmaster, had driven 190 miles from Amlwch to pay his last respects. “Charlie was the last of the great clowns of the world. There will never be anyone quite like him again,” he said.
Along with Charlie’s fans came his family:
• His wife, Violet,
• His son, Charlie Junior,
• His daughters, who recalled how their father first appeared in the circus at the age of five — and how sawdust was almost quite literally "in his blood" from childhood onward until he reached his twenties.
Having worked with and understood his father for years, Charlie Junior now finds himself carrying on his father’s work. His own debut in the circus ring was made at Charlie Senior’s side, in the presence of Charlie’s old partners Porto and Joan.
In the chapel, Father John Gormell spoke, as did many of Charlie’s old friends, describing the entertainer and the way he had of bestowing happiness on audiences.
Outside the chapel, under a pale and watery sun, the crowds gathered. His partner and son Charlie Cairoli Jr., Dick Hurran, director of the Blackpool Tower Circus, and many others spoke the final epitaph.
“Charlie’s secret gift,” one of them said, “was to make people happy — often happier than he ever was himself.”
There was no finer memorial to the Pagliacci spirit of Charlie.
