Editing Ken Dodd (section)

==Personal life==
Dodd's relationships with women lasted for decades; Dodd's biographer Stephen Griffin wrote: "As ever, despite the blossoming romance, there was to be no talk of marriage{{nbsp}}... he thought that marriage could lead to complacency in a relationship, and caused some couples to stop putting in any effort."<ref>Stephen Griffin, ''Ken Dodd: The Biography'', Michael O'Mara Books Ltd., London, 2005.</ref> In 1955, Dodd began a 22-year relationship with Anita Boutin;<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/sir-ken-dodds-widow-says-12206252|title=Sir Ken Dodd's widow shares her heartbreak - and how her husband is comforting her even after death|work=The Mirror|date=17 March 2018}}</ref> they were engaged at the time of her death from a brain tumour in 1977, at the age of 45.<ref name="independentie"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Sir Ken Dodd dies at 90: Comedy world pays tribute to 'one of all-time greats' |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/03/12/comedy-legend-sir-ken-dodd-dies-aged-90 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/03/12/comedy-legend-sir-ken-dodd-dies-aged-90 |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=14 March 2018 |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=12 March 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Shortly after her death, Dodd began a relationship with Anne Jones, which lasted from 1978 until his death. They had first met in 1961 when Jones appeared in ''The Ken Dodd Christmas Show'' at the [[Manchester Opera House]]. Dodd married Jones on 9 March 2018, two days before his death.<ref name="independentie">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/obituary-sir-ken-dodd-tickled-audiences-pink-for-decades-36694616.html|title=Obituary: Sir Ken Dodd tickled audiences pink for decades|work=Independent.ie|date=13 March 2018|access-date=13 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-43367267|title=Sir Ken Dodd: Comedy legend dies, aged 90|work=[[BBC Online]]|access-date=12 March 2018}}</ref>

Dodd was a supporter of the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] and campaigned for [[Margaret Thatcher]] in the [[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979 general election]]. In the last rally, at [[Wembley Arena]], he introduced her onto the stage.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/features/2017/11/06/38335/90_facts_about_ken_dodd | title=RIP Ken Dodd: 90 facts about the legendary comedian : Features 2017 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide }}</ref>

Dodd said that one of his biggest regrets in life was that he never had children. It was widely reported that he and Anne Jones were unable to conceive naturally.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2018/03/28/ken-dodds-wife-anne-jones-children-said-7422708/|title=Who is Ken Dodd's wife Anne Jones and did they have any children?|website=Metro.co.uk|date=28 March 2018|access-date=30 July 2020}}</ref> During his 1989 trial details of his personal life surfaced in the media, including revelations that he and Anne had undergone several failed rounds of IVF treatment in an attempt to start a family.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/930428/Ken-Dodd-dead-partner-Anne-Jones-wife-married-news-cause-of-death-how-did-die-Sir|title=Ken Dodd dead: Who is comedian's wife Anne Jones? Did they have children? Find out here|first=Minnie|last=Wright|date=12 March 2018|website=Express.co.uk|access-date=30 July 2020}}</ref>

In October 2001, a stalker - Ruth Tagg - harassed Dodd and Jones by sending them threatening letters and a dead rat; also appearing on the front row at almost all of his live shows during this time. She also attempted to burn down their house by pushing burning rags through the letterbox causing £11,000 worth of damage to the ground floor. Tagg pleaded guilty to [[Harassment in the United Kingdom|harassment]] and [[Criminal damage in English law#Arson|arson]] at [[Preston Crown Court]] in 2003.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2819343.stm|title=Stalker set fire to Dodd's home|work=BBC News|date=4 March 2003}}</ref>