Rolf Harris: Child predator performed on stage in Fareham and Gosport three times in the early 2000s

But before the allegations came to light, Rolf Harris was a very popular performer, having spent more than three decades on TV and playing both the didgeridoo and the stylophone; he is also credited as being the inventor of the wobble board.

SEE ALSO: The two Portsmouth sexual assault allegations levelled at Rolf Harris

His musical talents led to him performing at a number of festivals – including three in Gosport and Fareham in the early 2000s.

In 2001, he was hailed as the ‘hero’ of Gosport Festival, playing a 90-minute set after a freak tornado, power cuts and the withdrawal of headliners Atomic Kitten.

In 2011, Harris was one of the headline acts for Wickham Festival, billed just below Jools Holland and Bellowhead.

Speaking to The News at the time, he said: ‘I love doing festivals. If you're working in a festival, your name is not the only draw card. You're not putting backsides on seats. You go along as one of the crowd and it's amazing to have everyone singing along.

‘I'm enjoying it even more now at 81 than I was when I was 30 – life is great.'

He also performed at the Gosport and Fareham Easter Festival, alongside acts such as The Waterboys and Eddie Reader. Many of the artists for that festival also stayed at the Belle Vue Hotel in Lee-on-the-Solent.

Harris’ death was confirmed earlier today, following a long illness that left him ‘receiving 24-hour care’.

He was jailed for almost six years in 2014 after being found guilty of 12 counts of indecent assault.