Madeleine McCann's mum Kate's rare appearance at Bill Kenwright's memorial

18 December 2023 , 18:08

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Kate McCann arrives ahead of a memorial service at Liverpool Cathedral for Everton chairman Bill Kenwright (Image: PA)

Kate McCann, mother of missing Madeleine McCann, has been spotted in a rare public appearance at Bill Kenwright's memorial service.

Kenwright, a British theatre impresario and film producer, died at the age of 78 in October after an earlier cancer diagnosis. He was the chairman of Everton Football Club for nearly two decades, from 2004 until his death. Kenwright was among several wealthy backers who donated money to support the McCanns in the immediate aftermath of their daughter’s disappearance. Kate was seen entering Liverpool Cathedral on Monday, wearing an Everton scarf.

The Order of Service for Bill Kenwright (Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)

Kenwright had a cancerous tumour removed from his liver in August and the football club said this month that the operation had been successful but with complications. Kenwright, who was born in Liverpool, began his showbiz career as an actor and appeared in the soap opera Coronation Street in the late 1960s, returning for occasional appearances over the years after he moved into producing. He became one of Britain’s biggest stage impresarios, producing shows in London’s West End and on Broadway. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 2001 for services to theatre and film.

Madeleine McCann's family are Everton supporters (PA)

Madeline was three when she was last seen 16 years ago in Portugal. British, Portuguese and German police are still piecing together what happened on the night when the toddler disappeared from her bed in the southern Portuguese resort on May 3, 2007. She was in the same room as her twin brother and sister, who were two years old at the time, while her parents had dinner with friends at a nearby restaurant. A German man who is a suspect in the case is currently in jail in Germany for a different rape case.

Kate McCann arrives for the memorial service for Bill Kenwright, at the Liverpool Cathedral on Merseyside. (Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)

It is not known how much Kenwright donated to help with the McCanns legal costs. Other millionaires who donated included JK Rowling, Sir Richard Branson and Jacqueline Gold of Ann Summers. Kenwright's death in October drew a host of tributes from the sporting and theatre world, with acting legend Sir Ian McKellan tweeting: "The city that gave us The Beatles and two major football teams, also bred a unique impresario. Whether the West End lights will be turned off in his memory, certainly our business will be dimmer now he has gone."

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Everton FC said: "The club has lost a chairman, a leader, a friend, and an inspiration. The thoughts and prayers of everyone at Everton are with his partner Jenny Seagrove, his daughter Lucy Kenwright, grandchildren and everybody who knew and loved him."

Rachel Hagan