Comedy magician was wearing it when he suffered his fatal heart attack

The robe worn by Tommy Cooper when he suffered his fatal heart attack on stage has been snapped up by US magician David Copperfield.

Cooper wore the red silk robe for the show at Her Majesty's Theatre in London on April 15 1984 when he collapsed – with the incident broadcast live to 12 million viewers.

The American purchased the robe  – which was previously owned by fellow magician Paul Daniels – for £8,500, more than the pre-sale estimate of  £4,000 to £6,000

Kegan Harrison, from North Yorkshire auction house Tennants, said Copperfield bought the robe for his private museum in Las Vegas, which also contains memorabilia from Harry Houdini.

The auctioneer told the BBC that Cooper was ‘an absolute legend in the field and so potentially, for any sort of fellow entertainer or magician, it could well be something that would resonate very much with them’

Copperfield also purchased one of Cooper's suits at the same auction for £1,400, which will also go in this International Museum and Library of the Conjuring Arts. Entry to the collection is restricted to fellow magicians and serious collectors only. 

At his tragic performance, Cooper was wearing the robe, right, for a gag in which he produced items of increasing size from within the garment.

Fellow comic Jimmy Tarbuck was waiting behind the stage curtain to pass him the props through a panel in the robe when Cooper slumped to the floor. The audience continued to laugh, believing it was part of the act, until it became clear something was wrong. 

The TV broadcast cut to a commercial break, but the show continued as an ambulance rushed Cooper to Westminster Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival, at the age of 63.

Published: 24 Jul 2025