Barry McGuigan supported by ITV I’m A Celebrity stars as he breaks down in tears over daughter’s tragic death
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! star Barry McGuigan broke down in tears during last night’s episode as he struggled to discuss his daughter’s death.
McGuigan – who is known for his boxing career and time in the ring – married wife Sandra in 1981 and they have four children together.
Back in 2019, the couple was left devastated when their daughter Danika – affectionately nicknamed Nika – died at the age of 33 after battling leukemia.
The 63-year-old shared the sad news at the time, sharing a photo of himself with his late daughter on Instagram and penned: “The most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do was to say goodbye to my amazing daughter Nika earlier this week.
“She has been a shining light in our family’s lives for the past 33 years. Nika was an extremely talented and inspirational young lady who radiated kindness and love. Our hearts are broken and we know that life will never be the same again for us.
“However, Nika lives on in so many parts of our lives which we are grateful for. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who sent flowers, cards, Mass cards, Instagram messages, Facebook, Twitter, texts and email messages of condolences and support.”
During last night’s episode of the ITV reality show, McGuigan showed his vulnerable side and opened up about the loss of Danika with his campmates.
Radio 1 DJ Dean McCullough asked the boxer if he went to church at all, leaving the sports star to reply: “I used to go to church a lot but after my daughter… you know, not so much.
“I used to go incessantly. When you lose a child…” he stalled, prompting Jane Moore to jump in and ask: “But Danika was poorly when she was young, wasn’t she?”
Beginning to explain what happened, McGuigan began: “She had leukemia when I was making the boxing movie with Daniel Day-Lewis, three weeks from the end I had to leave because she’d been diagnosed with leukemia.
“They thought she wasn’t going to get better but she fought back and she won it. She had two years of chemo. She was good and she came back and…” McGuigan said before getting choked up and unable to continue.
His campmates rallied around him, as he quietly quipped: “It’s painful. Five years.”
Reassuring the former boxer, N-Dubz star Tulisa Contostavlos expressed: “Barry, you are a man going through pain and you are vulnerable about it, that takes strength.
“There are no rules to grieving Barry. Feel what you feel. And it is a reflection of your love, you holding onto a memory doesn’t mean that you are weak.
“It means this is how much I love my daughter and I am grieving.”
As the cast hugged McGuigan, he pulled himself together and added: “I have tried to talk about it and just… No matter what I do it just all comes back.
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“It was horrible, the weeks in hospital. Just watching… it was shocking. Thank you, you’re all so lovely, I really appreciate it.”
His story touched Coleen Rooney who shared her own story about loss with McCullough and Oti Mabuse.
Recalling the loss of her sister, Rosie McLoughlin, who died in 2013 aged 14, Rooney recalled: “Even when Rosie died, I kept it together for my mum and dad.”
“She was 14 when she died, she’d be 26 now. It’s hard to lose a child, I’ve always said that… so we’re lucky to have what we’ve got.”
