Barry Humphries’ daughter responds to claims she boycotted her dad’s funeral because Richard Wilkins was emceeing

Barry Humphries’ daughter Emily has broken her silence on rumours she boycotted his state memorial on December 15 because Richard Wilkins was the MC.

Weekend Today star Wilkins, 69, forged ahead with emceeing the late comedian’s public farewell at the Sydney Opera House, despite alleged objections from loved ones. 

However, the youngest daughter of the comedian, who died aged 89, revealed on Facebook this week her absence from the memorial had nothing to do with Richard. 

‘I want to be loud and very clear. I am grateful to both Richard and the organisers for their part in this send-off,’ she said.

‘Despite some complexities in my relationship with my father, I was proud of his achievements and think a public send-off important for both him and his public.’

She continued: ‘Privacy and intimacy were missing elements in my relationship with him so public comments have really bothered me. That they are inaccurate and hurtful to another fired me up.’

Emily went on to say she didn’t attend her estranged father’s state memorial because ‘they’re not my thing’ and she was ‘away working on a film project in Sri Lanka’. 

However, she assured her followers she did attend Barry’s private Bowral funeral, at the home of artist Tim Storrier, in April with her stepmother Lizzie Spender, sister Tess, brothers Oscar and Rupert, and the comic’s grandchildren.

Emily, who is Barry’s second child with his second wife Rosalind Tong, reportedly only recently ‘patched things up’ with her father before his death after they were estranged from one another for 20 years. 

The late comedian’s state memorial was held at Sydney Opera House on Friday, December 15, at 11am following his tragic death in April. 

Lifelong friend, Professor Ross Fitzgerald, who was mates with Barry for 60 years, made headlines in the weeks leading up to the event when he claimed Channel Nine star Richard was the ‘wrong choice’ to MC the farewell. 

‘Like a number of Barry’s friends, I was amazed and aghast that Channel Nine personality Richard was chosen to be the MC at this important event,’ he told The Daily Telegraph at the time.

‘I am also very puzzled how this happened. I had someone contact the NSW Premier’s department, who said that everything had been run past Lizzie Spender and the children and had their approval.’

However, just days later, a defiant Richard told Daily Mail Australia he had no intention of stepping down as MC, and ‘was honoured and humbled to be asked by Barry’s family to perform the role’.   

‘I had the enormous pleasure of spending a great deal of personal and professional time with Barry over many decades… and developed profound love and respect for him,’ Richard said in a heartfelt statement.