The widows of Rod Hull and Keith Harris are set to take legal action amid claims Emu and Orville are being “held to ransom”.
The pair of puppets had been put up for auction and were expected to fetch £10,000 each.
But the sale was stopped after Sarah Harris and Cher Hylton-Hull learned about their sale, saying they were being “held captive”.
Now Keith’s former manager, Robert C Kelly, has contacted Roger Shaw, who put the puppets up for sale.
Kelly said: “I wanted to help and try to have this issue resolved. The result is Roger Shaw is prepared to sanction the release of Orville and Emu, but at a price.”
Shaw says he is the rightful owner and is asking for £1600 for each puppet to hand them back.
But Sarah and Cher say the offer is a joke.
Sarah said: “This has come about because Keith and Rod are no longer with us. They would have made sure the puppets returned to their loved ones.”
Cher, who lives in Sydney, Australia, said: “I feel we are being held to ransom over the return of our own property and it would be wrong to give Roger Shaw any money whatsoever.
For what? Keeping Emu and Orville in a box?”
Kelly said if Shaw doesn’t instruct auctioneers Bonhams to “release the puppets from captivity”, he will initiate legal action on behalf of both women.
Shaw said the puppets had been “gifted” to him by the entertainers. But Sarah said Orville had been loaned to Shaw.
