An amazing intelligent bloke: Comic Frank Skinner's emotional tribute to pal Steve Evans

"It was the blind leading the partially sighted," said 57-year-old Frank in his tribute at Wolverhampton Civic Hall.

Baggies fan Frank said: "I always called him Evo. Evo was Wolverhampton through and through, but I forgave him for that."

• Mourners pay their final respects at funeral of inspirational Steve Evans

He described how Steve would talk all the time while they were on the road together as young comedians, where they would perform at the Edinburgh Fringe.

"He was a man of great intelligence but he didn't look as intelligent as he was," Frank said.

"He used that. It gave him a secret weapon. People underestimated him."

"In 1989 he offered to hit Paul Merton for me. I said no. But funerals are a time for regret aren't they?" Frank said that he had contacted Steve on January 1, two weeks before he died, to say he was surprised Steve hadn't got anything in the New Year's Honours for all his work to highlight cancer awareness.

"Instead they gave an MBE to David Cameron's hairdresser," he said.

"Evo was on my This Is Your Life many years ago," he said. "Then they cut him out to make room for celebrity guests I barely knew and didn't care about.

"I know a lot of people were aware of this amazing bloke who might have just been known to us otherwise.

"I'd have been happy for him just to be known to us and to still be around,"

Frank's voice began to crack with emotion but he carried on, with a story about how Steve would fall asleep in the car within seconds of moving from the driver's seat.

"He had this sense of knowing when it was all right to go to sleep.

"He put everything in order, he told everybody that he loved them.

"He was glad that he didn't die in a car crash because then he wouldn't have known how so many people loved him.

"And when he had done what he needed to do he went to sleep. And he was happy with that."

Since Steve's death, more than £12,000 has been raised for Compton Hospice by well-wishers.

Friends set up a 'Just Giving' page so people could donate in his memory, and over £5,000 was given in just over 24 hours. It has continued to swell as people across the world pledged money after hearing about Steve's brave plight.

To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/sue-oakley2