02 November 2023 , 14:26
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Justin Fletcher – best known to millions as beloved children’s TV character Mr Tumble – has been at the centre of another cruel death hoax.
The 53-year-old TV star is alive a well, but cruel pranksters took to social media and made the false claim, under the ‘Mr Tumble Dead’ trend. Concerned fans flooded social media to express their devastation over the apparent death of the BBC star – but it is not true.
Justin has been the victim of this same cruel joke numerous times since 2019, with the rumours rearing again in September this year and trending once more on Thursday November 2. However, the CBeebies show Something Special, which stars Justin in his Mr Tumble character, was scheduled to play on Thursday at 1:45pm as planned – with the BBC pressing ahead without addressing the scurrilous online rumours.
In the past, Justin indirectly debunked rumours he had died as he continued to issue content and updates via social media in the wake of the rumours spreading. While nefarious websites nairaland.com, deaddeath.com and gumroad.com have routinely falsely reported the fake claims children's entertainer has passed away in the years since.
Mr Tumble star Justin Fletcher has been the victim of fake death rumours multiple times (BBC)As well as building a huge following for his Mr Tumble character, Justin has gained success thanks to his voice work. He has lent his vocals to characters in hit shows including Todd World, Shaun the Sheep, and Timmy Time.
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Justin has previously opened up about his life out of the spotlight. He told the BBC: “I've got a lovely family around me. I do country walks. I go fishing a bit. I take the dogs for a walk. I visit friends, and I'm trying to give myself a bit more time off, but it always seems to fail because I am a bit of a workaholic.”
He also opened up about his favourite hobbies, saying: “I'm quite into classic cars. I'm quite fascinated by things like that. I've got a couple of prop cars. They're two minis – they've been cut in half and then put back together so they're tiny. They've got little eyes as well. And I've got five 1950s bumper cars. And I've got a little MGB. So I tinker around with those cars when I've got a minute.”
Justin has been rewarded for his continued service to entertain children, and was a recipient of an MBE from the late Queen Elizabeth II as part of her 2008 Birthday Honours list. While his loveable character have helped him amass an impressive wealth – as he is said to be worth a reported £1.5 million.
The TV star has never married – and admits he has struggled to date due to his work commitments. He told the Mirror previously: "I’m not married, live alone and have been single for a while now because I've been a workaholic filming Something Special, Justin’s House and Gigglebiz."