HOW COME . . .

From the age of 13, Lena suffered from anorexia nervosa. While at stage school, her weight dropped to 4 stone (25 kg). Lena blamed this on the pressure placed upon her to fit into costumes while at the same time she was "developing as a woman." She continued to suffer from anorexia throughout the 1980s.

In 1989 she married computer consultant Peter Wiltshire. The couple settled in north London but separated 18 months later. Also in 1989, Zavaroni's mother, Hilda, died of a tranquilliser overdose and a fire destroyed all of her showbiz mementos.

After the breakup of her marriage, Zavaroni moved to Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, to be nearer to her father and his second wife. By this time, she was living on state benefits and in 1999 was accused of stealing a 50p packet of jelly, although the charges were later dropped.

Zavaroni underwent a number of drug treatments and received electroconvulsive therapy in an attempt to beat her depression. She begged doctors to operate on her to relieve her depression. Although the operation would not cure her anorexia, she was desperate for it to proceed and threatened suicide if it did not (she also took a drug overdose).

In September 1999 Zavaroni was admitted to University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff for the psychosurgical operation. It was described as "pioneering". After the operation, she appeared to be in a satisfactory condition and after a week she was "making telephone calls, cheerful and engaging in conversation," even asking her doctor if he thought there was any chance that she would get back on stage. However, three weeks after the operation, she developed a chest infection and died from bronchial pneumonia on 1 October. She weighed less than five stone (70 lb, 32 kg)

If someone's idea of a sense of humour is to sneer and poke fun at another group of people they don't have a sense of humour worth mentioning.