Boxer Barry McGuigan broke down in tears last night as he discussed the death of his daughter with campmates on ITV’s I’m a Celebrity.
The 63-year-old boxing legend was emotional as he talked about losing his daughter, award-winning actress Danika, just five years ago.
Danika was 33 when she died from bowel cancer in 2019 – she had previously been diagnosed with leukaemia as a child but recovered after two years of treatment.
More: Barry McGuigan says he wants to ‘conquer’ I’m A Celebrity ‘before I get too old’
Speaking to his campmates on the ITV reality show, Barry said: “I used to go to church a lot but after my daughter… you know, not so much.”
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“She had leukaemia, when I was making The Boxing [film] with Daniel Day Lewis, three weeks from the end I had to leave because she’d been diagnosed with leukaemia,” he recalled.
“They thought she wasn’t going to get better but she fought back and she won it. She had two years of chemo.”
A visibly emotional McGuigan was comforted by his celebrity campmates, including Co Antrim Radio 1 DJ Dean McCullough, as he began to cry.
“You’re a man going through pain and you’re vulnerable about it, that takes strength. There is no rules to grieving – it’s a reflection of your love,” N-Dubz member Tulisa Contostavlos told him.
“Thank you, you’re all so lovely, I really appreciate it,” he said to the group.
The former World Featherweight Champion later told Loose Women panellist Jane Moore that his daughter, had “pains in her tummy” while she was shooting a film.
“She put it off and went to the doctor,” he said.
“Called us all in. Stage 4 bowel cancer, 5 weeks, 5 weeks she died.”
Danika would go on to be awarded the Irish Film and Television Award (IFTA) for Best Actress for her role in Wildfire, which was released following her death.