Barry Humphries’ family could pull pin on joint state funeral

The family of legendary comedian Barry Humphries is “greatly distressed” over reports of the Andrews government’s involvement in his joint state funeral.

The family of Barry Humphries declined an offer for a memorial service in Melbourne because they didn’t want the Andrews government involved, it has been claimed.

The Herald Sun this week revealed that a state funeral for the comic genius would be held in Sydney despite Humphries being born and raised in Melbourne’s leafy east.

Entertainment reporter Peter Ford told 3AW Humphries’ family was “greatly distressed” and “did not want the Victorian government involved”.

He said the family believed the Premier could have intervened when Humphries’ name was stripped from Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s major award in 2019.

Barry Humphries died aged 89. Picture: Lachie Millard

“They are of the belief the Melbourne Comedy Festival is underwritten by the major events committee in Victoria, which is government funded,” he said.

“Therefore it would have been quite possible for Daniel Andrews … to pick up the phone and say ‘this is wrong what you are doing’.

“Now that may be against protocol, it may be against etiquette but that’s what the family believes and he didn’t do it and we know the outcome.”

Ford said Humphries would have left “clear instructions” for his funeral, stating the Victorian government was “not to be involved”.

On Thursday, Deputy Premier Jacinta Allan urged people to “let the family work through these arrangements”.

“There are protocol teams who work with families and let’s also remember that this is a family that is grieving a loss of a loved family member,” she said. “He was an Australian icon and such a feature of our lives for decades and decades.”