Victoria Wood's brother defends controversial biography

Two rival biographies of Victoria Wood are being planned – threatening to cause a family rift.

Wood’s older brother, Chris Foote Wood, is planning to release a book about the late comedian’s upbringing as ’an overweight, lonely and unhappy girl’.

The 75-year-old’s biography will draw on hurtful comments their father made in a diary, including that Victoria was ‘fatter than ever and has more spots’.

But Wood’s children with magician Geoffrey Durham have distanced themselves from the publication, with a spokesman saying: ‘This is the first Grace and Henry have heard about Mr Foote Wood's book, based on Victoria's father's diaries.

‘Mr Foote Wood has not contacted them to discuss it or make them aware of his plans.

‘There will be an official Victoria Wood biography, which has Grace and Henry's blessing, published next year.’

Mr Foote Wood’s book will also include details of unseen material written by the late star, including her earliest jokes, according to the Sunday Mirror.

He insisted his tome, entitled Victoria Wood Comedy Genius - Her Life And Work, would be a ‘fitting ­memorial’ , showing the obstacles Victoria had to overcome on her way to becoming a comedy star.

Mr Foote Wood told the Bury Times: ‘I have only written the truth. It cannot be a betrayal to tell the truth. I am a huge fan of Victoria but I cannot hide the facts.’

He recently set up an appeal to pay for a life-sized statue of Victoria in her home town of Bury, Lancashire, with fans being asked to pay £2 to vote on which pose the tribute should portray her in.

In 2006, Foote Wood  wrote a biography of their mother, called Nellie’s Book, as well as several niche local history books.

Wood was previously the subject of a 2003 unauthorised biography by Neil Brandwood, which was rushed into a reissue after her death in April aged 62, with Penguin Random House announced the news the very day after she died.

News of the rival biographies comes as Peter Hook portrays Caroline Aherne as an abusive wife in his new autobiography.

Published: 3 Oct 2016